More Than Meets The Eye
by x-psychicfire-x
Summary: Naruto is the husband of Konoha's new prison warden. But when he is kidnapped by Sasuke Uchiha, an escaped inmate, he finds that all is not what it seems. Yaoi, starting OroNaru, main SasuNaru, LeeSakura *ADOPTED FROM KURO MITSU* *Same chapters up to chapter 10*
1. The One-sided Marriage

**Hey, this is x-psychicfire-x! I'm taking over this story from Kuro Mitsu who has graciously allowed me to adopt it from her. I'll let you know when the chapters are from my point of view. For the moment, the following eleven chapters were what Kuro Mitsu had collaborated from her point of view (except for the Title - that part was of my creation). Please enjoy - unless you already know what happened, then please stayed tuned. Cheers xx**

**Like Kuro Mitsu: I do not own Naruto - although, being Naruto and Sasuke's friend would be extremely cool :D**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** Well, if any of you remember this story before, I am completely re-writing it. A few parts will remain the same, but overall it will be really different. I admit it was too close to the movie, so I'll be changing a lot of the plot from the movie and making the majority of the dialogue my own. I hope you guys like this new version! Updates should be about once a month (but no promises).

Big thanks to Vitty Rose, she will be my beta of sorts for this; she's been reading the chapters over for me and giving me pointers for what needs help or where it just needs more.

**Summary:** Naruto is the husband of Konoha's new prison warden. But when he is kidnapped by Sasuke, an escaped inmate, he finds that not all is what it seems to be. Beginning OroNaru, SasuNaru main couple, OroKabuto, LeeSakura.

_****IMPORTANT:**__ For any of you who are having trouble uploading new chapters due to a problem on the site, there is a way to get past the error message. When you click on your story for a new chapter and the error comes up, simply go to the top of the screen where your http address is, and replace 'property' with 'content', and the page will load normally. Total credit for this comes from FaiNeko, who told me about it this morning. He's freakin' awesome!__****  
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**THE ONE-SIDED MARRIAGE**

Naruto sat patiently on the fallen log, his ears picking up the strains of people and animals moving through the underbrush. A cell phone was clutched in his hand, and a worried frown graced his features as he waited for the police thundering through the woods to come to him. He'd known turning the phone on and leaving the line open would lead police to him; it hadn't taken them an hour before they'd tracked his location down. Just as he'd hoped. A few moments later the first of a small group of uniformed officers broke out of the line of trees in front of him. A loud shout was given as he was spotted, and Naruto remained sitting as the rest of the officers came crashing out behind the first man. Dogs on leashes were reigned in, their baying echoing in the forest. The group of armed officers had rushed towards him and now surrounded Naruto, eyeing him speculatively as one of the men briskly walked up to him.

"Where is Sasuke Uchiha?" the same officer demanded, and Naruto looked up to see a brunette with his hair tied up in a high ponytail resembling a pineapple asking the question. Naruto took a deep breath.

"I'm not sure, I left him a while ago; he was still asleep in the cabin back there when I snuck out and ran," he said calmly, pointing back the way the men had come. The officer stared at him dubiously, a brow raised in silent question. But Naruto simply looked back, not divulging any more information. He only hoped his plan had worked, and that Sasuke had gotten away.

* * *

**~One month earlier~**

Naruto Wilkes stood outside the Konoha City Hall building, taking in some fresh air. The main door of the building being opened and closed, followed by the sound of footsteps and his name called made Naruto break out of his thoughts. Kabuto Yakushi, his husband's personal assistant, was walking towards him. He was dressed in black slacks and a dark maroon dress shirt, his long grey hair tied back in a tight queue.

"Orochimaru just finished his speech. He needs you to come inside for some publicity photos," Kabuto told him in his usual calm tone, black eyes looking passively on the shorter blonde.

Brilliant cerulean orbs fixed on Kabuto, Naruto smiled and nodded in acquiescence, heading inside to greet his husband. Cameras flashed as Naruto gave Orochimaru a peck on the cheek, the older man's arm resting about Naruto's waist as he smiled and posed for the cameras. Kabuto stood off to the side, silently watching the couple as their picture was taken. After a few minutes, finally satisfied, the reporters left as Naruto accompanied Orochimaru to their waiting limo, Kabuto right behind him. The blonde stared out the window as his husband and assistant talked quietly. He'd never really been comfortable being in the media spotlight, but he knew it was important to Orochimaru, so he went along with it for his sake.

Orochimaru was the new warden of Konoha's Correctional Institution. He'd been after the job for six months, and had finally landed the position last month. Now he was making plans to run for mayor next year, and was already in the process of setting up his campaign. Orochimaru Wilkes was the son of American Army sergeant Mitch Wilkes and his second wife Aika Nagane, a Japanese seamstress; they'd met when Mitch was stationed in Kyoto just after his first wife had died. They'd had Orochimaru less than a year after being married, and he was their only child. He'd lived in Kyoto until he was ten, able to speak both Japanese and English fluently, then his father had been promoted and had moved the family to Seattle. Orochimaru had gone to college at Cal State for criminal justice right after finishing high school, then moved back to Seattle after graduation. He'd gotten a job at the DA's office, and had quickly moved up in the ranks.

He was known with a reputation for being tough, but quickly decided he'd make more money representing criminals instead of prosecuting them. He'd met Kabuto, a Japanese-born intern three years younger than him, at the firm he'd worked for after leaving the District Attorney's office, and the two had been close ever since. Kabuto had even left and become Orochimaru's assistant when the older man had started his own law practice right after he'd married Naruto.

Naruto had met Orochimaru six years ago, when he'd been nineteen. Orochimaru was twelve years older, and had been a regular customer at the coffee shop where Naruto worked while attending college. The older man had been working at a small law firm just across the street from the café, and had made a point of coming in every day just to see Naruto. They'd quickly become friends, and Orochimaru had coaxed the blonde every chance he could for a date until he agreed. Even though they didn't have much in common, Naruto found he actually liked spending time with the black-haired man. After nearly a year of dating, Orochimaru had asked Naruto to marry him. He'd accepted, and the couple had married just after Naruto's twenty-first birthday. Their four-year anniversary was coming up in a little under two months.

"Naruto." Naruto's head turned to the other occupants of the car at the sound of his name.

"Did you want to be dropped off at home, or elsewhere?"

Sitting up a bit straighter in his seat, Naruto ignored the almost smug-like smirk on Kabuto's face as he answered his husband's question.

"I was hoping to talk to Sakura, her place is only a few blocks from here," he'd noticed the street they were now on was indeed only about two blocks from his friend's home. Orochimaru nodded, his lips tightening in slight annoyance; Naruto knew he didn't really like the younger woman, but she was his best friend, and no way would he stop being friends just because his husband couldn't get along with her.

Naruto again stared out the window, hearing Orochimaru give the driver the address on where to drop him off. He listened to the quiet drone of Orochimaru's and Kabuto's voices carry on their conversation as the car stopped in front of a small, one-story white house. He knew Orochimaru didn't really like him spending so much time with Sakura, always quick to show his displeasure when Naruto even suggested seeing her; the blonde had been spending less and less time around his best friend, trying to appease his husband.

"I should be home around six or six-thirty," he informed Orochimaru, who simply waved a pale hand at him. His golden blonde hair ruffled in the slight breeze as he stood on the curb, watching the car drive off down the street before disappearing around a corner. Sighing to himself, Naruto walked up to the house, knocking on the door.

Sakura opened the door, a little surprised to see Naruto standing on her porch.

"Hey! What are you doing here? I thought Orochimaru had a conference or something today?" she asked as she stepped back to allow Naruto into the house.

She was a petite woman, only around five and a half feet tall with shoulder-length pink hair (she'd dyed her hair as a joke in high school, and found the color actually suited her quite nicely; she'd stuck with it ever since) and bright emerald green eyes. Naruto had always thought her a stunning woman, no matter the color of her hair.

The pink-haired woman was one of the volunteers for the town's rec center. Naruto used to be a volunteer as well before he'd gotten married, helping teach the younger children to read. He'd talked Sakura, his friend since middle school, to help as well; she had her own class of kids she was helping with various subjects, such as math and English. Unfortunately, Orochimaru had demanded his attention for social events and parties, and Naruto had been forced to give up his time at the center.

Sakura led him to the small floral-design couch which sat in front of the large window, which brought in a lot of natural light to the room; the loveseat and chair in the room had a matching pattern. Her coffee table and end tables were all a dark oak, a red brick fireplace in the corner of the room. Naruto loved Sakura's house; it was always so open and inviting, unlike the almost sterile atmosphere of his own home. Orochimaru demanded order in both his job and his home, and Naruto had to constantly make sure the house was immaculate.

Sensing something was bothering Naruto, Sakura sat next to him on the couch, eyeing him closely. She worried for him; he was much thinner and quieter than he used to be, and she blamed Orochimaru. She saw the stress that Naruto was put under at all times, and her heart ached for him.

"So what brings you here today?" Sakura asked.

Naruto sighed. "I just missed you. I hate that I don't spend time at the center or with you anymore."

The droop of Naruto's shoulders made Sakura want to beat some sense into his husband. It wasn't fair that he expected Naruto to drop everything for him, yet allow him no freedom to do what he wanted to do.

"Are you ever going to volunteer again?" she asked. She'd made it known to the blonde that she hated the fact that Orochimaru made Naruto give up something that made him happy, and was constantly trying to get him to resume his teaching lessons for the kids. Truth be told, she didn't like Orochimaru, avoiding him as much as she could.

Exhaling softly, Naruto glanced over at her, seeing the worry and concern in her eyes.

"You can't keep going on like this, Naruto. He's making you give up everything that means something to you. Do you even love him?" Naruto sighed; these were things he'd been asking himself lately.

Looking over at Sakura, Naruto answered.

"I'm not _in_ love with him, but I do love him."

"Why do you stay? You've been together for over five years, but you don't even sleep in the same bed half the time. When's the last time you even had sex?" Naruto blushed at their conversation; he'd told Sakura all about his marital woes, as he called them. Including the embarrassing fact that he hadn't been intimate with his husband in nearly a year.

Shrugging, Naruto left the question alone, not really wanting to get into it right now. He really didn't want to spend the time he had with Sakura talking about things he couldn't do anything about. They both stayed silent as Sakura moved closer to him, wrapping an arm around his back and leaning her head on his shoulder. She had so much more she wanted to say, but seeing how dejected he was she decided to leave it alone for now and just offer him what comfort she could.

* * *

Sasuke Uchiha strolled almost casually across the prison yard. He kept a watchful eye, even while seeming to not have a care in the world. He knew another inmate was following closely behind him, waiting to strike. The inmate, Suigetsu Hozuki, had had a grudge against the Uchiha since Sasuke had first arrived at the prison eight months before. The blue-haired man, who was the leader of a small gang in the prison, had tried to assert his dominance over the new guy, only to have Sasuke thrash him soundly. That incident had greatly lowered Suigetsu's reputation within the prison, and he was constantly on the lookout for any kind of payback.

Muttering under his breath, Sasuke blocked the sudden attack, effectively knocking the other inmate to the ground. Another prisoner rushed him, trying to catch him unawares, and received the same fate as Suigetsu. Sasuke stood over the fallen men, eying the other inmates who were surrounding him and daring them to fight. Before anyone else could move, a prison guard in one of the towers radioed in to Orochimaru about the situation, who was watching from his office window.

"Let them fight it out," he ordered, seeing another prisoner make a move for Sasuke. The raven blocked the hit, then kneed the man in the gut, punching him across the back at the same time. He followed with a hard blow to the jaw, sending the inmate to the ground unconscious.

A rifle shot broke up the fight, the inmates falling to the ground on their stomachs. A guard walked over to Sasuke and yanked him up, dragging him to the warden's office where Orochimaru was going over some papers on his desk. The guard knocked on the door, pushing Sasuke into the room at the soft, "Enter."

Dismissing the guard, Orochimaru motioned for Sasuke to take a seat in one of the chairs sitting in front of his large desk.

"Sasuke," Orochimaru began, "your behavior is becoming quite tedious. You've had fights with prisoners nearly every day for a week, and your attitude doesn't help any." His tone of voice, laced with exasperation, was like that of a disappointed father talking to a disobedient child, and grated on Sasuke's nerves.

"They attacked me first. It was self-defense," he replied coldly. Orochimaru tutted, gazing at the young man with sly golden eyes.

"I can't have this, Sasuke. I'm putting you on work furlough, which will hopefully give everyone time to cool off and let me avoid any bloodshed in my prison. Too many other prisoners here have put a target on your back." He leaned back in his chair, staring at the normally stoic raven who now glared at him.

The warden continued.

"But since you're a convicted murderer," Sasuke clenched his fists tightly at the almost mocking tone, "I'll be putting you on my farm detail. Can't have you out in public with normal people." Orochimaru waited for a reaction from Sasuke, but the Uchiha just sat quietly, having calmed himself down.

A sudden knock at the door interrupted them. Sasuke looked up from his position in the chair as a handsome young blonde man came into the office, carrying an armful of files. His tanned face turned slightly pink at the realization that Orochimaru had company.

"I'm sorry for intruding, I thought you were alone-"

"It's fine, Naruto. We're done here," Orochimaru interrupted him. Standing in front of the door, Naruto turned to greet his husband's guest when the files he was holding slipped from his grasp. Stooping to pick them up, he was reaching for the last one when a pale hand grabbed it and handed it to him.

"T-thank you," he stuttered, his blue eyes meeting serious black orbs.

"Hn," Sasuke grunted, stepping back from the now-flustered blonde. Noticing the way Sasuke looked at Naruto, Orochimaru stood beside his spouse, a smirk on his face directed at the raven.

"Sasuke Uchiha, this is my husband Naruto," he introduced the two. Naruto smiled wanly at Sasuke, who simply remained beside the chair he'd been seated in previously.

"He actually oversees everything at the farm, so I imagine you two will get to know each other quite well," Orochimaru informed Sasuke, opening the door to tell the guard outside to escort the inmate back to his cell.

"Mr. Uchiha will be going to the farm tomorrow," he answered Naruto's questioning gaze as Sasuke left. Naruto glanced once more at the quiet raven as he was led away, then looked back at Orochimaru and handed him the files he still held.

Grabbing his coat, Orochimaru set the files on his desk to read over them later and pulled his coat on as he got ready to leave.

"Oh, Naruto, I'm having a meeting tonight with Kabuto to discuss strategy for the election. There's no need to fix anything for dinner as we'll just be ordering out; it could be a late night, so no need to stay up and wait for me."

Lowering his eyes so his husband wouldn't see the angry look in his eyes, Naruto murmured,

"Alright," and followed Orochimaru as they left the office and headed for Orochimaru's car to go home. Naruto sighed mentally, any anger with his husband well hidden.

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**The second chapter will be up soon. Please enjoy (or reintroduce yourself) to this story :)**


	2. Seeking a Way Out

**Chapter Two up and running. As always, I don't own Naruto. Enjoy xx**

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** So here's chapter 2 of the re-write, hope you guys like it! Tried to post yesterday, but once again the site was screwed up.

Thank you to **Kyuubi's Kit 2**, **DEMONIC BLACKMAGIC**, **Robin the Hedgehog1999**, **jtwsnw20**, **MuffinzRBeast24**, **XXShiro-KunXX**, **ToXicStArCaNdy**, **dragonfire04**, **asuka5271**, **Ai** **Enmaxjigoku shoujo**, **CorruptedCharlie**, **Atari 9**, **left-alone**, and **silverstream27** for your reviews. I'm glad you guys really like this!

And special thanks to Vitty Rose for reading over the chapter for me and helping me with it. *hugs*

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**SEEKING A WAY OUT  
**

Naruto waited patiently for his dinner to heat up in the microwave. He'd decided to just reheat some leftovers since Orochimaru had said he wouldn't be eating with him. The house was completely silent except for the low hum of the microwave as his food was heated and rotated. Blue eyes unconsciously followed the plate revolving in the small oven as he frowned to himself.

The ding of the microwave sounded, and Naruto pulled out his plate and set it on the countertop of the large island in the middle of the kitchen. The counters were all black granite, the dark mahogany wood of the cabinets a nice contrast. All the appliances were stainless steel, top of the line brands.

Orochimaru wanted only the best.

Setting his warm plate on the center island, Naruto pulled out a bar stool to sit on while he ate. He managed a few bites before pushing the plate away and sighing softly. His conversation with Sakura replayed in his mind over and over again. Why did he stay? He wasn't happy, and he knew Orochimaru wasn't either. Naruto wasn't stupid, he knew about his husband and Kabuto having an affair. What was bothering him more was the glaring fact that he wasn't that angry or upset about it, more just... disappointed maybe. He knew it was only a matter of time before he asked for a divorce, and he shuddered at the thought of having to tell Orochimaru that; his husband was not one to accept failure lightly or gracefully.

And asking for a divorce was pretty much admitting your marriage had failed.

Dumping the remainder of his uneaten food in the garbage, Naruto rinsed the plate off before setting it in the dishwasher and leaving the room. He shut the light off, then made his way upstairs to his empty bedroom with the en suite bathroom attached. He decided to take a quick shower before turning in for the night, knowing it could be hours before Orochimaru got home.

**x**

Abruptly woken from a sound sleep, Naruto rolled over and reached his hand out to the other side of the bed for his husband(a habit he'd not seemed to break out of), but encountered only empty space. He lifted his head groggily, peering at the clock on the bedside table. It was only a little after 2 a.m., and Orochimaru was nowhere to be seen. Getting out of bed and pulling on a robe and his slippers, Naruto silently trekked downstairs to the living room, finding his husband asleep on the couch. He walked over to him and placed the file splayed on his lap onto the coffee table, then covered him with the afghan that was folded on the back of the couch.

Bending down to retrieve more papers from the floor, Naruto saw a flash of silver on the rug. Reaching for it, he picked up what he now saw was a cufflink, recognizing it as Kabuto's. He placed it on the table on top of a file, a bit angry and annoyed that the assistant's cufflink was forgotten and left on the floor, almost taunting him.

He gave Orochimaru one last look before going back to bed, not bothering to wake him.

**x**

Sasuke stepped off the bus that had brought him to the farm along with a dozen other prisoners early the next morning. He nodded towards the guard standing outside the bus who called his name.

"My name's Kiba," the guard introduced himself, his wild brown hair sticking up in places. His dark brown eyes had a kind look in them, and his skin was lightly tanned; he had strange red triangle-shaped tattoos on his cheeks, which looked almost like fangs.

A huge dog trailed beside him.

"This is Akamaru," Kiba told Sasuke when he noticed the raven eyeing the huge canine. Walking behind the brunette, Sasuke took in his surroundings silently.

"So is there anything you're good at? What did you do before prison?" Kiba suddenly asked, looking down at his clipboard.

"I was a mechanic," Sasuke answered, earning a grin from Kiba who replied,

"Great! We can use another mechanic around, there's a lot of things that need fixing or repairing here. Can you do home repairs as well?" Sasuke nodded, following behind the guard and his dog as he was led to a large tool shed across the yard.

**x**

Naruto was in the sitting room of the farmhouse, adjacent to the large living room, Sakura seated next to him. He'd called her over to let her know of his final decision to end his marriage to Orochimaru.

"Ok, so I'm here, what is it you wanted to tell me?" she asked as she sipped at her glass of ice tea.

Not looking her in the eye, Naruto stared at the floor as he began. "I-I've decided to ask Orochimaru for a divorce." A shrill shriek had him cringing, his ears ringing slightly.

"It's about time!" Laughter caused him to look up sharply.

"You know, it's not exactly something to celebrate."

Sakura's gleeful grin melted almost immediately into a look of contrition at Naruto's small scowl.

"You're right, I'm sorry Naruto. But you have to admit, it's past time for you to finally break out of this dead relationship. I mean, you told me you're not in love with him anymore."

When Naruto just sat quietly, Sakura blanched at her thoughtless words.

"I know," he finally said, his voice almost subdued, "but it doesn't make it any easier. I really tried to make this work, I just don't understand what happened with us. We were happy, at least I thought we were. But everything changed, and he stopped talking to me, stopped touching me, everything just _stopped_."

Naruto sighed, leaning back against the couch's cushions. "I gave up everything to please him. He wanted to wait on adopting kids, so I did. I stopped volunteering at the center to help him with his career, and to make sure I was always there when he needed me for his endless charity functions or business parties or those damned publicity photos. But it seems nothing I did was good enough; my clothing wasn't appropriate attire for his lifestyle, I talked too loud, my behavior embarrassed him,"

Sakura cursed mentally at that, wanting to get her hands on Orochimaru for beating Naruto down so drastically.

"And I know about his affair with Kabuto," he continued.

Sakura started in surprise; she had no idea that Naruto knew his husband was sleeping with his assistant, though she'd had her suspicions about the two for a while.

"I found his cufflink on the floor of Orochimaru's private study early this morning," he pulled out the small piece of round silver and set it on the coffee table. "He's not even trying to hiding it. It's almost like he's flaunting it in my face." He knew everyone thought he was oblivious to his husband's infidelity, but he'd actually known for a while now.

"I'm just so tired." He glanced as Sakura, his eyes searching hers as if to gauge her reaction to his confession. "And I want to live my own life now, do what I want to do and not worry whether or not I'm making someone else angry or disappointed. Is that so wrong?"

"No Naruto, it's not." Sakura's tone was firm as she smiled. "You should do exactly what you want instead of being Orochimaru's trophy 'wife'."

Naruto's nose wrinkled in mock annoyance. "Hey, don't call me the wife!"

Sakura giggled lightly, the somber mood broken for the moment. "Well if the shoe fits…" She smirked at his grimace.

A sudden noise from the kitchen had them both jumping.

"What was that?"

Remembering the order Orochimaru had called in for the kitchen sink to be fixed, Naruto smiled sheepishly as he rubbed the back of his head nervously. "Oh I forgot, the sink was leaking so Orochimaru had Kiba send one of the inmates to fix it today."

Green eyes gleamed. "Really? So there's a prison inmate in there right now?" Naruto didn't like the look in her eyes at the moment.

"Yeah…"

Jumping up, Sakura grabbed one of Naruto's wrists and pulled him up with her. "Come on, I wanna see if he's hot!"

Naruto gawked at his friend for several seconds. "What? Are you nuts? You're getting married in less than a month, and you wanna check out another guy? Should I tell Lee about your little fetish for prison men?"

Scoffing, Sakura threw a grin over her shoulder at Naruto. "I never said anything about the guy being for me; you on the other hand need some serious eye candy, and I know there are some real hotties in the yard out there."

Trying to stifle his laugh and failing, Naruto followed her into the kitchen. He knew she'd never cheat on Lee; she was only doing this to try to cheer him up.

Sakura stopped in her tracks at the sight of a nicely muscled male body lying under the sink. Naruto fidgeted around the refrigerator as he tried to avoid staring at Sasuke. The raven was fixing one of the pipes, which had been leaking water all over the floor. Gesturing to Naruto, who took a glass out of the cupboard and handed it to her, she went to the sink and ran some water in the glass, purposefully moving the glass out of the way for a moment and making sure the man underneath got a slight drenching.

The water had the desired effect, effectively soaking Sasuke's face and upper shoulders and causing him to jump out from under the sink.

"Sorry," Sakura smirked coyly as the guard assigned to watch Sasuke stood forward in concern, his stance signaling his readiness to step in and prevent Sasuke from any aggressive movement.

Naruto quickly reached to the towel rack beside the sink, retrieving a towel. Handing the slightly annoyed raven the dry material, Naruto glanced back at the guard to make sure he didn't aggravate the situation even more.

"I apologize for Sakura. She didn't know the drain was open," Naruto told the guard, hoping to pacify both him and Sasuke. He turned to again face the raven, giving him an apologetic smile.

Sasuke wiped his face, his demeanor calm once more as he eyed Naruto. "That's alright, no harm done," Sasuke said, his deep voice causing a frisson of awareness to creep up Naruto's spine.

Forcing his eyes to look away from the glittering droplets of water clinging to the strong curve of Sasuke's jaw, Naruto nervously chuckled and excused himself and Sakura, who gave a knowing look at the blonde's behavior. She couldn't really blame Naruto. Hell, if she weren't in love and engaged to Lee she'd be tempted to jump the sexy inmate herself! But judging from the way he'd looked at Naruto, she didn't think he'd be all that receptive to a woman's invitation.

She gave a last, lingering glance at the Uchiha before muttering, "See ya!" and hurrying behind the blonde out of the room, both missing the slight smirk Sasuke sent them.

* * *

Later that evening Naruto and Orochimaru sat at the large solid oak dining table in the middle of the dining room. The blonde had fixed his husband's plate before making his own, and had just sat down to eat. Since Naruto had learned to cook due to being on his own so much when he was a teenager after his parents' deaths, he'd tried to perfect his culinary skills. Orochimaru preferred Naruto's meals to his usual hired caterers', so Naruto prepared their food himself as often as he could.

They remained silent as they ate, Naruto not really feeling up to talking and Orochimaru too busy thinking about his upcoming race for mayor to bother with small talk. The only sound heard was the clink of silverware on the china plates.

After a couple more moments of silence, Naruto swallowed his bite of food and cleared his throat. It was now or never.

Taking a steadying breath, Naruto glanced at Orochimaru. He waited for his husband to meet his gaze, then began his little practiced speech. "I think we should get a divorce." At the sudden blank look, he continued.

"We don't talk anymore, hell we sleep in the same bed but we never touch each other. I have things I still want to do with my life, and let's be honest, neither one of us is happy."

He stopped, his body freezing at the now furious gaze of Orochimaru.

"You want a _what_?" the older man snarled, pushing his plate away. Food flew onto the table from the ferocity of his shove.

"You pick now of all times to tell me this? When I'm in the middle of planning my election? Are you trying to ruin this for me?"

Taken aback, Naruto didn't know what to say. He watched as Orochimaru seemed to calm down, sitting back in his chair and eyeing Naruto coolly.

"Fine. We need to talk about this rationally, like adults. I think at this point in time divorce is simply out of the question; what would my voters think? And I need you with me; I need your support behind me on this. I can't do this without you."

Naruto hid his sneer. Of course Orochimaru wouldn't want him to leave because he actually cared about their marriage; it was all about what the public would think. It was that attitude that made him more determined to get out. Just more proof they didn't belong together.

"Fine," he conceded. "I'll stay until after the election is over. But then I'm leaving. And you and Kabuto can have all the alone time you want with each other." He ignored the surprised look shot at him.

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes at the blonde. He had no idea Naruto knew about his affair with his assistant, this could be bad if Naruto fought him in court. Orochimaru wasn't rich, but he had managed to acquire a nice little nest egg.

And he had no intention of sharing it.

No longer hungry, Naruto picked up his plate and left the dining room, carrying it to the kitchen sink. He missed the calculating stare following him as he walked. Orochimaru's mind was working overtime while watching Naruto exit the room, and a smug smirk soon fixed on his lips.

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**Chapter Three up soon xx**


	3. Harmless Flirting

**Chapter Three uploaded! Please enjoy - and remember, I do not own Naruto xx**

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**Disclaimer:**I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** So here's chapter 3, this was the hardest to write so far since it's very different from the original and I got a bit stuck with it. Hope you guys like it!

Thanks to **DEMONIC BLACKMAGIC**, **Atari 9**, **SilverxStarlight**, **asuka5271**, **xXoAnonymousoXx**, **XxKageTenshixX**, and **FanofBellaandEdward** for your reviews.

Special thanks goes to Vitty Rose, who read over this for me and helped me out with it.

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**HARMLESS FLIRTING**

Naruto stretched out in the early morning sunshine, closing his eyes briefly as he lifted his head towards the sky. This was his favorite part of the day, to come outside just after sunrise when the air was nice and warm. The smell of nature always brought a smile to his face as he breathed deeply of the pine trees surrounding the large farmhouse. He enjoyed staying here more than the house he and Orochimaru used in the city. That house was too impersonal for his tastes; the stark white walls and dark décor. He much preferred the homey atmosphere of the farmhouse, the place where he could just relax and be himself and not have to worry about eyes watching and criticizing his every move.

Seeing movement, Naruto recognized Kiba, one of the guards stationed for the farmhouse's work program. He called out to the brunette, waving at the man as he began walking towards him. He noticed Akamaru trailing along behind Kiba.

"Hey Naruto! You're up kinda early this morning." Kiba's voice boomed a bit; he was every bit as loud as Naruto used to be.

Smiling, Naruto nodded slightly. "Yeah, I was planning to get a short jog in this morning before doing some work around the house." He looked over Kiba's shoulder and spotted a familiar figure standing a few feet to Kiba's left. It was the inmate who fixed the kitchen sink the other day, 'Sasuke' he remembers his name is.

Black eyes stared at the blonde intensely. Feeling a blush begin to creep up his neck, Naruto cleared his throat and gave a small smile to the raven-haired man. Sasuke stood a few inches taller than his own five foot nine frame, his body more muscled due to working out constantly in the prison weight room and around the yard. His black hair gleamed with dark blue highlights in the bright sun, his pale skin actually a nice contrast to his dark hair and eyes.

"Um, thanks for fixing the pipe in the kitchen," he said, mentally kicking himself at his lame words. Sasuke merely grunted, shrugging his shoulders while keeping his stare fixed on Naruto.

"Well uh, I'm just gonna go back to the house, I'll see you later Kiba!" Naruto waved nervously and headed back towards the farmhouse; the whole time he walked he could feel the heavy weight of that black gaze resting on his back. He shivered a little as he made it to the porch and finally turned around, seeing Sasuke following Kiba to one of the work sheds in the distance.

Grabbing his iPod and ear buds, Naruto scrolled to his favorite music and placed the buds in his ears as he set off to begin his run. Black eyes watched the slender blonde until his back disappeared around a curve.

* * *

Slamming his hands angrily on the steering wheel, Naruto again cursed himself for not buying a newer car. This had to be the fifth time this month that the damned thing had refused to start, but for some reason he just didn't want to go through the hassle of searching for a new car; ok, so he was a self-denying procrastinator, at least he admitted it. Well, if only to himself that is.

Grumbling under his breath, Naruto got out and trekked down to the guard's shack just down from the house. Maybe if he was lucky Kiba would be able to help him out again, even though technically it was only a quick fix. But he really needed to get into town and pick up some groceries, and Orochimaru had one of those annoying publicity parties for his campaign. Naruto chuckled to himself; maybe he could use this as an excuse not to go, he absolutely hated them.

Finally getting to the shack, Naruto saw Kiba sitting on a chair behind the large window. "Just the man I needed to see," he huffed as said guard caught sight of him.

"Hey Naruto, the car again?" He laughed slightly at Naruto's disgruntled expression.

"Can you help me out again? It won't crank."

"Man, you seriously need to junk that thing and get a new ride." Kiba let another guard know he was leaving for a few minutes and followed behind the blonde as they headed back towards the large house at the end of the property. Akamaru stayed with the other guard, sleeping on the floor.

"Hey, hang on a minute, I got an idea," Kiba said before jogging into the workshed where a small group of inmates were gathered. Naruto just watched as he returned less than a minute later with that dark-haired inmate on his heels. He fought a blush as again those black eyes seemed to peer into his soul.

"Sasuke here used to be a mechanic; I figure maybe he could take a look and see if he could fix the problem or at least give you an idea of what to do about it."

Naruto just nodded, studiously avoiding Sasuke's intense stare as the three began walking. Once they reached the somewhat battered dark red '85 Honda Accord, Naruto stood back while Sasuke popped the hood and took a look at the engine. After several minutes, Sasuke asked, "Are the keys in the ignition?"

"Um, yeah," Naruto said nervously as Sasuke came out from the front and went to the driver's side door. Brushing past the blonde, he got into the driver's seat and tried to crank the car; it started right off. Grateful, Naruto smiled at Sasuke as he stepped out of the car.

"You need a new starter, this one is going out. It's going to get to the point where it won't be able to crank at all, so you should have that done as soon as possible."

"Oh, ok, thank you. Um, if I can get the part can you fix it?"

Sasuke nodded. "Sure. I have all the tools I need in the shed, I can write down the exact part and if you have a local auto supply store then they should have one." He took the piece of paper Naruto had found in the glove compartment and using a pen also stored there, he wrote down what was needed and handed it to Naruto, making sure their fingers touched for a brief moment.

Naruto felt his face get hot. "Alright, I need to get some things in town and I can pick one up today if the store has them in stock. Can you repair it tomorrow if I get it?" He couldn't meet the other man's eyes as he spoke.

"Yeah. Won't take long, just leave the car out front and I'll get to it as soon as I can."

"Thanks so much! I really appreciate it," Naruto hurriedly climbed into the car and watched as Kiba escorted Sasuke back to the work shed. He made himself look away as Sasuke eyed him from the shed's doorway, putting the car in gear and driving to the gate. He waved to Kiba as he passed, his body beginning to cool off from the short encounter with the handsome inmate.

Naruto had placed the last of the groceries in their rightful places and was now relaxing on the couch. He'd gotten his ear talked off by an old friend at the store; she was a huge gossip and he'd had to lie and say he was late for a meeting with Orochimaru to get away from her. His head throbbed a bit from a headache he'd acquired, and all he wanted to do was just sit quietly.

Turning the TV on, he kept the volume lowered as he flipped to a local station to watch the news. His brow lifted as he caught the tail end of a segment on Orochimaru's function earlier that day. He was glad now that he hadn't gone; it was large indeed if it had gotten the attention to be put on a news cast.

He saw some of the footage of the party, and his brow quirked up as he saw off the very right of the screen a shot of his husband's hand briefly passing over his assistant's ass. He couldn't help but get angered by the witnessed grope; if anyone saw it then he'd have to live with the whispers and gossip behind his back, as if it wasn't bad enough now.

Sighing tiredly, Naruto shut the television off and decided to make himself a light supper. It was pushing six, and he didn't know or even really care if Orochimaru was coming home for dinner.

**x**

Just after four the next afternoon, Naruto was in the middle of his first reading lesson after being gone so long; he was teaching a group of nine kids ranging from five years old to about eight. Shizune, the woman in charge of all volunteers, had been overly happy to see him return. Though it was Friday, she'd agreed to let him teach that day's lesson to get back into the swing of things. A soft knock on the classroom door caught his attention, and he paused in his session.

"I'll be back in a minute, just keep practicing your words until I come back," he told them as he headed for the door. Upon looking out through the glass, he saw Orochimaru's distinct figure standing in the hallway. Naruto sighed mentally as he noticed the slight scowl on the older man's face.

Making sure to shut the door for some privacy, Naruto stood several feet away from Orochimaru and leaned against a wall, his arms crossed over his chest as he met the cool golden eyes.

"Was there something you needed?"

"Why weren't you at the function yesterday? I tried calling the house and your cell phone, but you didn't answer. I want to know why you missed a very important party that was in regards to my mayoral campaign." Orochimaru's voice was almost a hiss as he demanded answers.

"Can't this wait until later? I'm in the middle of a class!" Naruto wanted very much to hit his husband for his tone of voice. He hated when people talked down to him like he was a piece of garbage, and he wouldn't stand for anyone, much less his soon-to-be ex-husband, treating him that way.

"Well seeing as this is the only place I was actually able to find you, no I didn't think it could wait."

Keeping his voice even, Naruto glared at Orochimaru. "Fine. I didn't go because honestly, you didn't need me there. And before you say anything," he forestalled the other man as he saw a pale hand raised to halt his reply, "I know you think you need me for support but from what I saw, you have all the support you need with Kabuto. For God's sake, couldn't you at the very least keep your hands to yourselves while in public? Do you know how humiliating it was to walk in here today and see the pitying looks from my friends and other volunteers? This is why I wanted to get the divorce, I'm tired of faking our 'happy' marriage."

"I'm assuming that's the reason you felt the need to move your things into the guest bedroom?"

Naruto nodded. He'd put his clothes and personal items into the guest bedroom just down the hall from the master bedroom. No sense in sharing a room if they aren't even together.

"Very well. If you wish to proceed with a divorce then fine, I won't stop you. Doesn't matter that you choose to do so at a very inconvenient time for me." Naruto easily heard the derisive sneer in Orochimaru's voice as he turned to leave.

"You know, it's not always about you. That's one of the biggest problems we've always had; you completely disregard my feelings. You never think how it will affect _me_." As he met the now frigid stare of his husband, he added before going back into his classroom, "I'll be filing first thing Monday morning, and I'll also be looking for an apartment or house. At least then you and Kabuto won't have to worry about being interrupted during a 'meeting' so if you want to grab his ass then you'll be free to."

Orochimaru narrowed his eyes as his mouth thinned in annoyance, then strode down the hallway and out of the rec center. Naruto sighed deeply, then plastering a bright smile on his face he opened the door and returned to his class.

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**Chapter Four coming up soon. Stay tuned x**


	4. Okay Maybe Not

**Chapter Four ready for perusal. I don't own Naruto xx**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** So here's another chapter, hope you guys like it! It's quite different from the original as this chapter is where you start to see where it really differs, but I think it came out better.

Thanks to **KanameAngel**, **Housenka**, **ToXicStArCaNdy**, **TigerDemonOwnz**, **Juura99**, **FanofBellaandEdward**, **DEMONIC BLACKMAGIC**, **rentamiya**, **Waaaaaiiiiiiit**, **XxKageTenshixX**, **Atari 9**, **Blackandwhiteangel13**, and **Melikalilly** for your reviews. And to answer **Waaaaaiiiiiiit**'s question, not sure how to work it in but if I have any extensive scenes with Neji he will definitely be paired with Gaara. A special thank you goes to **Blackandwhiteangel13** for her PM, she got me off my butt and motivated me to post this earlier than planned.

Unfortunately Vitty Rose wasn't able to read over this for me due to computer problems, so I'm posting this without it being proofread by anyone other than myself.

_I apologize to my anonymous reviewers, but I had to disable anon reviews for the time being due to receiving some very disgusting 'reviews' from a homophobic member here (I deleted the comments from my story) who left similar remarks for at least eight other authors that I found, one of whom is a very close friend. I have sent in emails to admin about her offensive behavior with screen captures of each review she sent to these authors, so I'm hopeful the admin have at least warned her of her conduct here as she was breaking several of ffnet's rules in the TOS. I'm sorry for this small rant, but that kind of conduct should not be tolerated anywhere for any reason._

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**OKAY… MAYBE NOT**

Tape recorder in hand, Orochimaru was in the middle of practicing a speech for one of his upcoming mayoral ads. He was going through his notes to make sure he didn't miss anything important when a knock came at the door.

"Enter," he called, skimming through half a dozen pages of notes as the door opened.

Glancing up when the door closed, Orochimaru set his notes aside as he saw who had come in. He gave a smirk, eying the trim figure of Kabuto. The younger man was dressed in tight black pants and a chest-hugging forest green polo top. Golden eyes traced Kabuto's body lustfully; the younger man strolled close as he gave a responding smirk of his own. Orochimaru moved out from behind his desk to meet Kabuto. Stopping in front of his lover, Kabuto reached a hand out and toyed with the collar of Orochimaru's dress shirt. His dark eyes lifted to meet gold, a brow raised in question.

"So has he moved out yet?" Kabuto knew all about Naruto leaving, and he was more than happy to find out his lover was finally getting rid of Naruto.

He'd been with the man for nearly ten years, and had been extremely upset when Orochimaru had married Naruto. Finding out the man he loved had married, Kabuto had been furious at first. It wasn't until the older man explained his actions that he calmed a bit; apparently Naruto had a family trust he knew nothing about, and if something were to happen to him then as Orochimaru was his husband the money would go to him.

Orochimaru had found out about the trust by accident just after meeting Naruto. He'd been at the office of an old acquaintance who still worked at the law firm he was once employed at. The friend was one of the firm's notaries who handled wills and trusts, and Orochimaru had noticed some paperwork scattered across his desk with Minato Namikaze's name at the top with a Kushina Uzumaki listed as his spouse; Orochimaru's curiosity was piqued as he remembered Naruto saying his last name was Uzumaki. After asking about the paperwork the lawyer had all but bragged about the will that Namikaze had written up. For some reason the will had been drawn up in secret, and he'd only come across it recently as the original executor that Namikaze used had died a few months prior, and he'd taken over half of his clients.

Doing a bit of digging, sure enough he'd found that Naruto Uzumaki is indeed the heir for the Namikaze fortune. When Naruto turns twenty-five he inherits millions, enough to make Orochimaru's mouth water at the amount. And if something were to happen to Naruto, then his spouse will inherit as he has no living relatives to contest the will.

It had taken some scheming, but Orochimaru had made sure Naruto was oblivious to his future inheritance. He'd charmed and seduced the young blonde into marriage, thinking it wouldn't be so hard to stay until Naruto turned of age and he could get his hands on the money. But Naruto was just too… pure for his tastes. The blonde was too happy and cheerful, always quick to help someone in need and think nothing of himself. Orochimaru was bored quickly, and not even two months into the marriage had cheated with Kabuto. He had quite a bit of his own money saved up over the years, nothing compared to what Naruto was worth, but he couldn't take the risk of his husband finding out about Kabuto and trying to take any of it in a divorce.

So he'd come up with a plan guaranteed to get rid of Naruto while keeping his image and Naruto's money. Sighing, Orochimaru leaned back to sit on the edge of his desk as he frowned slightly. "He's moving out this weekend. He turns twenty-five next month, I can't have him file for divorce and find out about his father's will. I've spent too much time to just let him walk off and get nothing in return."

"So what do you have in mind?"

Pulling Kabuto close so their bodies were flush against each other, Orochimaru began tugging the green shirt over Kabuto's head as he said in a low tone, "I have a plan that will get rid of him while keeping us in the clear and insuring I inherit the Namikaze fortune." Kabuto gave a sly grin and brought the older man's lips to his own, happy that in the next few days Naruto would be gone forever.

* * *

Half an hour later, Kabuto was pulling his shirt back over his head when a knock sounded at the door again. Standing up next to his assistant, Orochimaru, now fully dressed again, bade whoever it was to come in. Smoothing his shirt down in place, Kabuto hid a satisfied smirk at their previous actions.

As Sasuke was let into the office by a guard, Orochimaru turned to him. "Mr. Uchiha. Take a seat, we have a few things to discuss. Mr. Yakushi, we'll continue this later." Kabuto nodded, his eyes meeting Orochimaru's briefly as he all but sauntered out of the room, shutting the door behind him.

"Now then, Sasuke," Orochimaru strode around his desk, "we need to get a few things straight." Sasuke glared at the man's use of his first name.

Orochimaru eyed him. "Here's the problem. The inmates you attacked have brought assault charges against you. They are going to testify that you attacked them with no provocation."

Sasuke sat up straighter in his chair, trying to keep his emotions hidden behind a stoic mask. "Like I told you before," he grated out, "it was self-defense. I was simply protecting myself."

Orochimaru sneered at him. "Yes I'm sure you were, just like you're an innocent man," he flipped through the pages of Sasuke's personal file. "Murdering your best friend, his blood found all over your car and clothes," he added, 'tsk'ing the Uchiha. "Only eight months in so far and already causing trouble? You could have maybe gotten parole in fifteen years, but now, with these assault charges added, you'll never step foot outside this prison again."

Sasuke didn't say a word, anger and despair flooding him at what Orochimaru said. A sinister smile appeared on the warden's face. Sasuke didn't like the look of that one bit.

Sitting alone in his cell a few hours later, Sasuke read the small scrap of paper in his hand over and over. Balling it up, he dropped his head in his hands and thought over his predicament hard before coming to a decision, anger running through him at what he was being forced to do.

**x**

Naruto unlocked the front door to the farmhouse, his arms full of groceries. Hurriedly setting them down on the counter, he began putting the food away and threw out the bags. It was only a little past noon and he was feeling restless, so he figured he might go on another run to burn off some energy.

Heading upstairs to change out of his slacks and button-up top into a t-shirt and shorts, Naruto walked into his bedroom and came to an immediate stop in shock as Sasuke stepped into full view from behind the door.

"W-what are you doing in here?" he stammered in panic as the bigger man stalked closer. Naruto noticed the small gun in his hand, now pointing directly at him. He gulped in fear, backing up until he hit the wall.

Sasuke loomed threateningly over the blonde, the weapon in his hand waving in Naruto's face as he cowered along the wall, blue eyes trained on the gun.

"Just stay quiet and we won't have a problem. Agreed?"

Naruto nodded absently, not meeting Sasuke's gaze. He isn't stupid; he knows better than to tangle with a prison inmate carrying a deadly weapon. Sasuke glanced around, his nerves almost as shaky as Naruto's by that point. His ears strained to catch any odd sound, paranoid that Kiba and the other guards were going to burst in the front door at any second. He needed to get this done fast and get the hell out of there.

"I need some clothes, and any cash you have in the house," Sasuke moved to the closet, making sure to keep Naruto in his line of sight. Grabbing out a pair of khaki trousers, Sasuke scrunched up his nose as he read the size. No good; he was at least a size larger than the slender blonde.

Grabbing Naruto's elbow roughly, Sasuke all but dragged him down the hall. He figured the warden's clothes might be a closer fit to his own.

"Where's Orochimaru's room?" He'd overheard Naruto and Sakura talking that day when he'd fixed the sink that Orochimaru and Naruto were in separate bedrooms. When only silence answered him, he tightened his grip on the tanned arm and asked again, "Orochimaru's room?"

Naruto winced at the painful hold, "It's the last door on the right."

Sasuke pulled him along until reaching said room, letting Naruto go once he got to the chest of drawers. Again keeping Naruto in his sight, Sasuke opened a drawer and pulled out a pair of black slacks. They were actually a size too big, but he yanked them out completely and tossed them onto the bed. Better too big than too small; they'd do.

Rifling through another drawer, Sasuke found a dark purple sweater and added it to the pants. He then unzipped the orange prison jumpsuit and kicked it away on the floor, his shoes following. Naruto, who'd been watching him the entire time, turned red and looked away as Sasuke stood in only his white undershirt, briefs and a pair of socks.

Maintaining his hold on the gun while getting the pants on, Sasuke buttoned and zipped up the slacks then decided to grab one of the belts hanging on the open door of the large closet across from Naruto. He quickly slid it through the loops, his eyes staying on Naruto the whole time. Finally done fastening it, he slipped the sweater over his head quickly and slid his feet back into his shoes, then gestured for Naruto to precede him out the door.

"Look, you-you should just go now. They'll be looking for you," Naruto told him, trying to convince the convict to leave.

"Where are your car keys?" he demanded, ignoring Naruto's comment.

"On the counter in the kitchen. Hey! You don't need me now, just take the car and my wallet, it has a few hundred dollars in it!" Sasuke ignored him still as he once more dragged the younger man behind him and down the stairs to the kitchen. Naruto tried desperately to pry the pale hand off his wrist, but Sasuke's grip was too strong. He would have attempted to kick the other man, but the thought of the gun he was still carrying scared him; he worried that it might be used on him.

"We both know I'll never make it out of here without you. Now come on; I'll let you go after we get a safe distance away." Snatching up the keys, Sasuke looked out the living room window to make sure the coast was clear, then ushered Naruto out the door ahead of him, the gun sticking in his lower back ominously.

The two men stepped onto the front porch, Sasuke pushing Naruto to make him walk. He honestly had no intention of shooting the blonde, but Naruto didn't know that. They made their way to Naruto's car, the small pistol jabbing into Naruto's spine. Sasuke climbed into the car first, curling into a ball on the passenger side's floorboard and pointing the gun at Naruto, telling him to get in. Naruto sat in the driver's seat, closing the door and starting the car.

"Just take it nice and slow," Sasuke commanded. "Act normal." Naruto nodded, putting the car in gear and easing it onto the paved road from the driveway.

Glancing around nervously as he drove, Naruto jumped when Sasuke squeezed his thigh. "Just relax," the Uchiha said. Taking a deep breath, Naruto drove slowly as they got to the gate, a nervous smile plastered on his face as he honked the horn to attract the attention of whoever was on duty. The metal security gate opened, and Naruto drove through it, recognizing Neji at the window as the other man waved.

Pulling out onto the highway, Naruto let out the breath he'd been holding. "It's clear," he whispered. Sasuke sat up on the passenger's seat a heartbeat later. His dark orbs checked to make sure the farm was behind them, putting his seatbelt on.

"Where do you want me to drive you? You can let me out and take the car," Naruto pleaded, looking for a good place to pull over.

"Just keep driving," Sasuke told him, continually watching the side-view mirror for signs of any police.

Spotting a closed gas station a few miles down the road, Sasuke had Naruto pull in behind the old building. Scanning the area, he spied an older model pick-up that luckily had current plates on it. Getting out of the car, he motioned for Naruto to exit as well; he needed to keep an eye on the blonde, and didn't trust him to stay in the car by himself. For extra insurance, Sasuke had yanked the keys out of the ignition and stuck them in his pocket.

"So, um, I-I'm just gonna go sit over there. You can take the car and go wherever, I don't care." Sasuke had his back to Naruto; the blonde turned and slowly started towards the low stoop of the station's back entrance, praying the dark-haired man wouldn't shoot him in the back. He got a few feet before a blow to the back of his head caused him to pitch forward as his vision went black; he'd never heard Sasuke come up behind him. Sasuke caught him before he could hit the ground, swinging the young man up into his arms and carrying him back to the car.

Looking down at Naruto, Sasuke murmured softly, "I'm sorry, this is the only way," and opening the trunk, laid the blonde down and shut the lid. He sighed; he didn't want to hurt Naruto, but he couldn't have him making noise in the trunk and possibly alerting anyone for help.

Taking out a screwdriver that he'd lifted from the work shed, Sasuke went to the pick-up and removed its license plate. He then switched plates with the Honda; it would buy him a little time to get to where he was going without fear of police tracking the license plate numbers to the car. He tossed the old plate into the bushes so no one would see it, then moved to get back into the car.

Sliding into the driver's seat, Sasuke started the engine up and began driving, an unconscious Naruto safely locked in the trunk.

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**Chapter Five will be updated soon xx**


	5. Kidnapped

**The fifth chapter of Kuro Mitsu's 'More Than Meets the Eye'. Please enjoy - and remember, I do not own Naruto xx**

* * *

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** I know this is earlier than normal, but I got this chapter finished much sooner than expected so I decided to go ahead and post. The majority of this chapter is completely new, I hope you guys like it.

Thank you to **DEMONIC BLACKMAGIC**, **Blackandwhiteangel13**, **xxxwallflowerxxx**, **Juura99**, **ToXicStArCaNdy**, **FanofBellaandEdward** and **Atari 9** for your reviews, I'm glad you're enjoying my story.**^_^**

_Thanks to Vitty Rose for reading over the chapter for me. Cynthia, you. Are. Awesome! *And you just lost the game. hehe*_

* * *

**KIDNAPPED**

Sasuke drove along the main highway from Konoha, his hair tucked underneath a plain baseball cap found in the glove compartment. He was trying to look as inconspicuous as possible while keeping his dark hair hidden under the hat. The bill of the cap also helped shadow his features. Pulling into a gas station about half an hour later, he parked in the nearly-empty lot and locked the car up; wouldn't do for someone to come along and 'find' Naruto unconscious in the trunk. He'd let the back seat lean forward just a bit to make sure Naruto got plenty of air. Sasuke certainly didn't want the blonde to suffocate.

He checked the parking lot, looking around without being obvious about it. It was nearing six in the evening, the sun would be going down soon, and he wanted to get to his destination before then. He just needed a road map; he'd not been out this way in years, and he sure as hell didn't want to get lost after dark. Walking into the cool interior of the station, Sasuke grabbed a map of the state from the rack next to the door. He grabbed a couple bottles of water along with the map, going to the counter to pay for them. Naruto might be thirsty when he woke, and he didn't know if there were any supplies at his friend's cabin he was headed to.

"Will that be all for you, sir?" the cashier asked boredly. She looked to be young, maybe in her late teens or very early twenties. She didn't even glance up at him as she rang up his items. Sasuke rolled his eyes slightly at her.

Looking around, he figured he may as well get a few things for him and Naruto to eat just in case. Spotting a shelf with various bags of chips and snack cakes, he grabbed several bags of Nacho Doritos and some cream cheese Danishes, dumping them on the counter.

"You got any sandwiches or frozen pizzas here?" he inquired. The girl rudely pointed towards the back, her eyes fixed on the TV in the corner. Sasuke glared at her before walking to the cooler; next to the sodas was a small assortment of ready-made sandwiches. He chose a ham and cheese, one egg salad and two chicken salad, carrying them to the front. The girl sighed and turned to ring the rest of his purchases up.

"That'll be $26.87," she said, stuffing everything into two plastic bags. Sasuke dug out the money he'd taken from Naruto's wallet, handing the cashier two twenties. After getting his change, he took his bags and left quickly. The sun was getting very low in the sky now; he quickened his steps to the car, hoping to get to the cabin before it was full night.

Unlocking the car, Sasuke loaded the bags into the back seat before climbing in the driver's seat. He fastened his seat belt (no way was he going to risk being pulled over because he wasn't wearing his seat belt), then reversed the car and drove from the parking lot. Reading the map he'd just gotten, he turned east. He estimated it would take about another twenty minutes, maybe even thirty, to reach his friend's hidden vacation home.

Just under twenty minutes later he made a right turn off the main highway onto a dirt road through some woods. Sasuke maneuvered the vehicle until he was deep in the trees, then stopped and put the car in park. Stepping out, he walked to the back of the car and opened up the trunk, checking on Naruto. The blonde was still out cold; he hoped he hadn't hit him too hard. To be honest he wasn't sure how long someone knocked out on the head would stay unconscious, but if Naruto wasn't awake within the next hour he'd have no choice but to try to get him help.

Getting back in, Sasuke continued down the road, turning when he spotted the turn-off that would take him to Gaara's cabin. It really couldn't be called a road by any definition though; it was nothing more than two ruts cutting a barely discernible path through a dense forest. The car jumped a bit as it ran over shallow holes and furrows hidden by grass. The path was winding, twisting this way and that as he traveled deeper into the woods.

As he was getting annoyed with how long the path was, the road abruptly ended and he found himself in front of a small, dark brown hunting cabin. It looked just as he remembered. Gaara had let Sasuke use the cabin once years ago; the redhead rarely used it himself, and Sasuke had wanted to come here because it was unlisted in the directory. It was also hidden under a thick mass of trees, making it practically unseen from the air. Unless Gaara had shown someone the cabin's location himself, no one would know to look here for it or that it even existed.

Sasuke parked the car around back. Tomorrow he'd cover it with some tree branches in case any helicopters flew overhead; he didn't want the vehicle's metal to give a reflective glint to anyone looking for them. He seized the bags of food and took them to the porch, setting them by the front door as he ran his fingers over the top of the window sill closest to the door. He smiled with satisfaction when he brushed over the slightly dusty key, snatching it down and quickly unlocking the front door. He carried the bags inside and set them on the small round table between the living room and kitchen, then went back outside to get Naruto.

Opening the trunk, Sasuke hefted Naruto into his arms, being careful of the blonde's injury and cradling his head as he carried Naruto into the house. Shutting the door with his foot, Sasuke walked towards the lone bedroom and entered. He gently laid Naruto on the double bed, making sure to put a pillow under his head. He then went into the bathroom, searching through the medicine cabinet and finding a bottle of peroxide, some aspirin and even a box of Band-Aids.

Taking the peroxide, he grabbed a washrag and wet it, wringing it out and taking both to where Naruto lay. He turned the man's head to the side and looked over the area he'd hit. Luckily there was no broken skin or blood, just a nasty-looking bruise forming over a slight bump. Naruto's breathing was normal, his skin cool to the touch; seeing his eyes flutter beneath his lids Sasuke was confident he'd wake soon. He set the bottle on the night table beside the bed and placed the cool rag on the bump, then left Naruto to put the food and water away in the kitchen.

The cabin was a bit gloomy, so Sasuke was relieved to find when he flipped the switch to the light for the kitchen that it came on. That meant Gaara had been out here to fill the generator with fuel. With luck he'd left enough for at least a week; Sasuke had no idea how long he'd be staying here, and he didn't want to be stuck with no electricity.

Checking on Naruto again, Sasuke found him still out but beginning to move restlessly, so he went out back to the shed for a quick look around. The generator pump was out there, and Sasuke discovered a note along with three large cans of fuel. Each can lasted just over a week if the lights and appliances in the cabin were used sparingly, so he was grateful to see them. He read over the note, a tiny smile of amusement curving his lips as he read over Gaara's letter.

_Sasuke,  
__  
Figured you'd head here. I left you some cans of gas for the generator, you should be fine for at least a month. I also stocked up the 'fridge, you can't live off sandwiches alone. I'll come out here when it's safe.  
__  
Gaara_

Sasuke chuckled lightly. "Hn, you know me so well." Feeling better, he made his way back into the cabin. But not before grabbing a good length of thin chain and a small padlock.

**x**

Police officers patrolled the grounds surrounding the farmhouse, law enforcement canines accompanying them. The dogs were sniffing out any possible traces of evidence that may have been missed by human eyes.

Kakashi Hatake, a veteran detective of the Konoha police force for twelve years, was currently standing in the main room of the house, questioning Orochimaru about Naruto's kidnapping. The blonde's husband was sitting on the couch, his face buried in his hands, body slouched. Kabuto sat beside him, his hand resting comfortingly on Orochimaru's back.

"Has Mr. Uchiha been coming here frequently, Mr. Wilkes?" Kakashi asked, voice slightly muffled due to a black turtleneck covering the lower part of his face. His wild silver hair jutted up in the air, defying gravity. His eyes were multi-colored, one a dark brown, while the other was almost red in appearance with the pupil shaped oddly.

Orochimaru shrugged irritably, his head still lowered. "Yes. He's part of the prison detail assigned to work around the farm." He conveniently left out that he and Naruto were no longer sharing a bedroom; Orochimaru couldn't honestly say his husband had been in the house when he'd left as he hadn't looked into his bedroom or seen the blonde before leaving. He had to keep up the grieving husband act.

"Had Mr. Uchiha been in personal contact with your husband?" a young brunette man asked. He was Iruka Umino, Kakashi's long-time partner, and (known to most of their fellow officers) also Kakashi's lover. Almost non-threatening in looks, his soft tone belied the steel in his gaze. "We were told by several different inmates that he'd been seen having conversations with Mr. Uchiha, and that the escapee had been in this house before," Iruka told him.

"What the hell are you trying to say?" Orochimaru shouted angrily. "My husband didn't run off with that prisoner! Sasuke must have forced him; I have a gun I keep in my desk here that's gone now," he explained, pointing to his office.

"And Mr. Uchiha just happened to find this gun after breaking in and using it to take Naruto. Does this gun happen to be registered?" Kakashi queried, the unspoken suggestion evident. An ugly snarl crossed Orochimaru's face as he got up to attack the federal officer. Kabuto, seeing what was about to happen, put a hand on Orochimaru's upper arm and pulled him back.

"You don't know Naruto," the assistant interjected. "He's not capable of doing something like this." Orochimaru stood up, pacing back and forth on the rug in agitation. "He would never do anything like that," Kabuto finished.

Iruka glanced at the grey-haired man. "And you are…?" he addressed Kabuto.

Kabuto met Iruka's brown eyes, resisting the urge to stare at the large scar stretched across the brunette's nose. "Kabuto Yakushi. I'm Mr. Wilkes personal assistant and campaign manager." Iruka wrote down the information on a small notepad, murmuring, "Mm-hmm," as he did so.

"Would Mr. Uchiha have an ulterior motive for taking Naruto? Maybe a personal vendetta against you for some reason?" Kakashi queried, trying to find any possible explanation on why Naruto was taken.

Orochimaru turned to Kakashi, his tone hostile. "I don't know! You're asking me asinine questions while a murdering lunatic has taken my husband God knows where!" His countenance turned dark. "Just find Naruto!" he barked.

Kakashi and Iruka shared a speculative look, the silver-haired officer quirking a brow. "We've put an APB out on both Naruto and Sasuke Uchiha, and I'm confident we'll get a lead soon," he tried to be reassuring, but from Orochimaru's mocking glare he didn't think it was working. "We've set up roadblocks on all the main highways within a twenty mile radius, though by now they could very well be out of state."

Orochimaru rolled his eyes, the efforts of the police and other law enforcement agencies so far being mediocre and absurd in his opinion.

"We're checking with other jurisdictions," Kakashi supplied, noting the dark-haired man's highly irritated state. "For the time being, I would recommend that you stay put. Let us handle this. We'll find your husband and bring him back, safe and sound."

A thoughtful expression crossed Orochimaru's face, his eyes narrowed in contemplation. Iruka had to physically stop the blanch from forming on his face; the man was hiding something in his opinion, his actions a little too contrived for him.

"Very well," Orochimaru stated firmly. Kabuto stood and faced both officers. "If you'll please just keep us informed of any news. You can reach Mr. Wilkes here or at his office," he reached into his suit jacket pocket and pulled out a business card. "Here is the phone number you'll need. Now, if you'll excuse us." His last statement blatantly dismissed them.

"Of course." Iruka smiled tightly, following his partner out of the room. Just as they were out of earshot, Kakashi glanced back at Iruka. "I'd bet you anything those two are sleeping together," he said quietly.

Iruka snorted in agreement. "Oh, absolutely." He gave a disgusted sneer at the house as he followed his partner.

* * *

Naruto moaned lightly, his eyes fluttering open. He gazed at the ceiling, uncomprehending of the unfamiliar room as he frowned in confusion. The last thing he remembered was walking away from Sasuke at the abandoned gas station, then a blinding pain in his skull…

Sitting up with a gasp, he clutched his head in his hands, groaning in pain. He gritted his teeth, fighting not to pass out again as he head throbbed dully. A slight movement to his left had him lifting his eyes to see Sasuke getting out of a chair placed near the bed. Naruto gasped again, his body moving backwards automatically as the dark-haired man came near.

"Don't worry, I'm not going to hurt you," Sasuke said quietly. He held out a bottle of water and a small white pill.

Naruto eyed the pill dubiously. "Forgive me if I'm not so willing to trust what you say."

Sasuke sighed, setting the water and pill on the table. "Fine. But would I have brought you here if I planned to kill you? I've had ample opportunities to get rid of you, yet here you are."

"How the hell am I supposed to know what you have in mind? I've never been kidnapped before!"

"And I've never kidnapped anyone before! So this is something new to both of us." Sasuke moved around the bed towards the bedroom door. Before exiting, he turned around to give Naruto one last look.

"Look, I'm sorry for this, but there was no other way. So yell and scream all you want, there's no house within miles of here; no one can hear you." With that he walked out the door, leaving Naruto glaring at the doorway.

The blonde sat there for countless moments before standing. That's when he felt it; around his right ankle was a thin chain. A small silver-colored Master Lock held the end of the chain looped around his ankle tight enough to ensure his foot couldn't slip through without cutting his circulation off. The other end of the chain was fastened around the thick leg post of the bed; the frame of the bed was made of solid cedar and weighed at least a couple hundred pounds. No way could he lift it by himself. Naruto was now tethered to the bed with a leeway of about fifteen feet, enough to reach the toilet and shower of the adjoining bathroom. His incredulous gaze was fixed on his foot. What the hell was he to do now?

At the same time, Orochimaru was sitting in his house with a relaxed Kabuto by his side. The two men were watching the local news where an anchorman was reporting on Naruto's abduction.

"I told you it would work out. All we have to do is keep the police from finding Sasuke for a few days, long enough for him to kill the idiot, then have a little 'accident' for him when he comes back to prison. Then everything is solved, and I inherit Naruto's trust when his body is discovered." His voice was smug as he leaned back into the couch, a smirking Kabuto reclining next to him.

Orochimaru had everything figured out perfectly. Using Uchiha had been a stroke of genius; it had been fortuitous that the man had been sent to his prison. Of all the prisoners to come and go from his office, Sasuke had been the only one to stare at Naruto lustily. Orochimaru had seen and used it to his advantage, manipulating Sasuke into doing his dirty work.

A picture flashed across a TV monitor, showing Sasuke's mug shot, the other of a smiling Naruto. A toll-free number popped onto the bottom of the screen for viewers to call if they had any information.

Low chuckles sounded in the room, Orochimaru's glee at what he thought of as a fool-proof plan plain to hear. With any luck, he'd be a free man worth millions within a few days. He smiled evilly at the photo of his husband on television.

* * *

**Chapter Six will be up for viewing soon :)**


	6. Living With a Criminal

**Here come's chapter six. I do not own Naruto xx**

* * *

**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** So here's the new chapter. It's completely new, nothing from the original chapter at all. I'm working on ch. 7 now, hopefully it should be ready soon. I'm going to try to work on having my updates faster, possibly every two weeks if I can. Hope you guys like it!

Thank you so much to **stardarkening**, **Akirakun17**, **ToXicStArCaNdy**, **Juura99**, **HorsesRain**, **HugAZombie** and **Housenka** for your reviews.

_**Special thanks to Vitty Rose, who read over it for me and has been such a huge help with this story. Thank her for me getting this posted so fast!^_^**_

* * *

**LIVING WITH A CRIMINAL**

Sasuke walked slowly down the long drive leading from the cabin to the main road. He'd cut a large pine branch and was using it as a sort of broom to 'sweep' away the tire tracks from Naruto's car. Though the narrow lane was very well hidden already, he didn't want to take any chances of it being seen at all. Sasuke had been thinking about it last night and had decided to come out here first thing this morning, so the sun was still not too high in the sky at the moment. He was thankful that it wasn't summer; that meant the other cabins in the area weren't being used at this time, and less chance of discovery.

It took him a good fifteen minutes to finish the walk one way, especially considering he was being thorough with erasing the tracks. He stood a bit from the edge of the drive, contemplating on how to hide the entrance without it seeming to be hidden. He didn't think it would take much to hide the driveway; it made it a bit easier in his opinion since the trees lining the manmade drive were interlinking on each side, making it even harder to see the path.

Finally nodding to himself, Sasuke drew the small handsaw over his head (he'd tied a rope through the handle and looped it around his shoulder to hang over his left side) and began to carefully cut a few small bushes down. He arranged them close together over the beginning of the drive, and standing back he smiled to himself; he couldn't even tell there was a driveway there now.

Cautiously moving around the bushes, he started his way back to the cabin, again using the pine branch to wipe away tracks on the opposite side of the pathway. He made sure to step only in grass and not leave any footprints.

Getting back to the cabin, Sasuke put the saw back in the storage shed out back and headed into the house. He didn't know if Naruto was awake or not, but as he had to pass through the bedroom to reach the bathroom he'd find out shortly. He wasn't too keen for a confrontation; no telling how the blonde would react this morning.

He stopped briefly in the kitchen, checking through the cabinets and refrigerator to see what exactly Gaara had stocked up on in terms of food; he'd not looked through it last night as he'd set the sandwiches and water he'd gotten from the gas station in it. He found milk, juice, eggs and various vegetables in the fridge, along with a package of lunchmeat, jars of mayonnaise and mustard, and even a pack of bacon. The freezer was full of meat such as hamburger, chicken and what Sasuke thought might be steaks. Closing the refrigerator he went to the small pantry at the end of the kitchen and found a few loaves of bread, numerous cans of vegetables and fruit, and a box of instant pancake mix. There was more but he decided to get a closer inspection of everything later; right now he wanted to clean up before starting on breakfast. He stared at the bedroom door briefly before mentally slapping himself.

_Suck it up, Uchiha,_ he snarled to himself.

Straightening his shoulders, he walked into the bedroom and met the surprised yet wary gaze of Naruto. The younger man was sitting on the edge of the bed, picking at the small lock holding the chain together around his ankle. He immediately stood and backed away from Sasuke when he entered the room, putting the bed between them as a weak barrier.

Sighing, Sasuke stopped in his tracks. "I'm not going to hurt you. I just need to get a quick shower, I'll be out of here in ten minutes." His voice had an irritated tinge to it.

Blue eyes narrowed. "Hey, don't get snippy with me. _I'm_ the one being held captive here, so I should have the snarky attitude, not you." He flinched slightly when Sasuke turned his annoyed stare on him, his bravado wavering under that hard frown.

After a few seconds of silence, Sasuke snorted in exasperation. "Whatever." He continued into the bathroom, shutting the door firmly behind him. Naruto gave a baleful glare towards the door before sitting on the bed, his shoulders drooping a bit. He couldn't figure out what Sasuke wanted. Why keep him here? Naruto thought that Sasuke would hightail it straight for the Canadian border as it was closer, not keep him chained in some secluded house in the middle of nowhere. As far as Naruto knew he had no money, so ransom was out. Whatever the reason, Naruto was getting worried.

True to Sasuke's word, the dark-haired man emerged from the bathroom roughly ten minutes later. His hair was wet, slightly dripping down his back onto the light grey t-shirt he was wearing. Naruto watched him warily as he left the bedroom, disappearing through the door and leaving him alone in the room once again.

Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, not knowing what to expect. He was going to go stir-crazy if he had to stay in this room for an extended period of time. He had hopes of talking Sasuke into either giving himself up (which he was _very_ doubtful of) or just making a run for it and leaving him behind.

He jumped a bit when Sasuke came back in the room. The plate of steaming food he carried made Naruto's mouth water as the smell of scrambled eggs, bacon and pancakes wafted to him, causing his stomach to growl loudly. Sasuke set the plate down on the night table beside the bed, then backed away to give Naruto space to eat. He waited for Naruto to pick the plate up, but the blonde just gave him a blank look. His irritation grew as Naruto just sat there.

"Well? Aren't you going to eat?"

Naruto looked at him like he was crazy. "And how do I know you haven't poisoned it? I may be blonde but I'm not stupid."

Sasuke glared at him. He grabbed the fork and stabbed it into the eggs, shoving a good amount into his mouth while keeping his angry gaze locked on Naruto. He chewed for a few seconds then swallowed.

"There, happy?" The fork clanged on the plate as he dropped it.

"Well what the hell am I supposed to think? You kidnap me from my home, wave a gun in my face, then knock me out and chain me to a bed in some god-forsaken house in the middle of a forest! Now I'm supposed to think you're trying to be nice all of a sudden?" His body quivered lightly, his hands shaking slightly from nervousness.

Sasuke sighed heavily. "Look, if I was going to kill you I'd have done it already. The chain is for your own protection. I don't expect you to believe me, but you can't go home, it's not safe for you."

"And I'm safer here with you?!" Naruto's tone was full of incredulity.

"Yes. For now, anyway."

"What is it you want? Money? I don't have much, but it's all yours if you'll just let me go. You can head for Canada, then you can go wherever you want. You don't need me!"

Letting out a huff, Sasuke turned to leave. Enraged by Sasuke's refusal to answer and beyond frustrated at his predicament, Naruto grabbed the plate and threw it against the wall near Sasuke's head. Black eyes shot to him, shock and anger warring in them.

"Nice going, idiot. You gonna do that every time I bring you food? 'Cause you'll starve if you keep that up," Sasuke spoke drily.

"Then next time I'll make sure to hit your head! Maybe it'll knock some sense into you and you'll let me go!"

Anger suffusing his face, Sasuke stomped out of the room and back to the kitchen. He slammed his hands down on the counter next to the stove, fighting to keep his emotions in check. This was not going how he'd planned. He stood there for a couple of minutes, then straightened and went to find a broom and dustpan to clean up the mess of food lying on the floor.

Naruto sat in silence, his stomach rumbling as the scattered meal lay cooling on the wood floor. A big part of him was regretting throwing the plate, but he wasn't about to let Sasuke just walk away and ignore him. In the end his little tantrum only hurt himself as he was beginning to get really hungry.

When Sasuke came back with a broom and dustpan, a plastic shopping bag, some paper towel and a small bucket of soapy water Naruto just watched him. The dark-haired man said not a word as he knelt and used the paper towel to clean up the food. He picked up the shards of ceramic that was once the plate and threw it all in the bag, then stood and using the broom swept the rest up into the dustpan. He then knelt again and dipping his hand in the water brought out a rag and started wiping bits of food off the wall and the floor. He left quietly when he finished.

Hours passed for Naruto as he sat in solitude. He'd fiddled with the lock on the chain enough to know it wasn't coming off without the key, and he'd left it alone long ago. The weight of it was a bit uncomfortable, but at least it wasn't pinching or digging into his skin. He was laying on the bed, trying to think of anything at all to keep his mind off his steadily growing hunger. Judging by the shadows growing in the room he guessed it was somewhere around three or four in the afternoon, which meant he hadn't eaten in close to forty-eight hours as he'd skipped breakfast yesterday.

The cabin had been quiet for a while, making him wonder where Sasuke was. Naruto didn't do so well when he was bored, and he was almost tempted to call Sasuke in the room just to alleviate his boredom. Wouldn't be so bad if there was a television or even a radio, but his search of the bedroom had come up empty. Not even a book to read.

So focused on his thoughts Naruto was startled when Sasuke walked in. He didn't say anything to Naruto, just set down a bottle of water and one of the sandwiches he'd bought at the gas station on the night table. He exited, not even checking if the blonde touched the food this time.

Sitting up, Naruto scooted to the table and picked up the sandwich. At this point he completely disregarded his little plan to refuse food; he was just too damn hungry and that sandwich was looking good. He tore open the plastic covering on it and eagerly took a bite. He was so hungry he didn't care that it was egg salad, which he hated. He gulped down the water, his throat dry from the bread.

Finishing his meal, Naruto crumpled the wrapper in his hand and tossed it and the now empty bottle into the small waste basket by the bed. He stood and stretched, then walked to the doorway and glanced out into the kitchen and living room. Sasuke was leaning back into the old couch on the other side of the room, his eyes closed.

Hearing the rattle of the chain, Sasuke's head lifted and he met Naruto's gaze.

"I need to take a shower. Can you undo the chain so I can?" He hated to ask at all, but could see no other alternative. He was getting a little gamey, his hair was starting to feel a bit greasy and his clothes were filthy from lying in the dirty trunk of his car. Sasuke just grunted at his request and stood. He picked up something beside him before heading towards Naruto, keeping whatever it was close to his side and out of Naruto's view.

"There are some clothes in the dresser, they should fit you." Gaara was about the same height and weight, maybe slightly shorter than Naruto, but Sasuke was pretty sure the redhead's clothes would fit him fine.

Naruto nodded and pulled out a few drawers, finding a pair of shorts and a t-shirt. He refused to touch the underwear; he didn't know whose it was and wasn't too keen on wearing another man's undergarments. Holding the clothing he went into the bathroom, waiting beside the shower for Sasuke to unlock the padlock holding the chain together.

"Hold your arm out," Sasuke instructed him when he reached him. Puzzled, Naruto unthinkingly did as told and screeched in anger when a handcuff was snapped around his left wrist.

"What the hell is this?!" Dangling from his arm was about three feet of chain attached to the cuff; Sasuke had fastened a prisoner shackle to him! Fury radiated off Naruto in waves as he sputtered. Sasuke had stepped back after slapping the other end to a short support bar in the shower.

"This is to make sure you don't go anywhere," Sasuke's voice was too calm for Naruto. "Thought you'd recognize it; it's what all the prisoners have to wear when they first get to the farm."

Naruto glared hatefully. "I don't keep track of that! And why the hell would you keep something like that anyway?!"

Sasuke shrugged. Instead of tossing them away after using the key Orochimaru had given him he'd stuck them inside his prison jumpsuit, the belt cinched around his waist tightly keeping them from falling down to his feet. Figured they'd be useful later on if Naruto proved to be too difficult. He was glad now that he had.

"Just get your shower and get out. I'll give you fifteen minutes; if you're not done I'm coming in and dragging you out, naked or not."

"And how the hell am I supposed to get a shower with my shirt on?"

Sasuke smirked and grabbed a hold of the t-shirt's material at the neckline, ripping it down the front. He tore the sleeve on the left arm, pulling the fabric over tan skin as Naruto came out of his frozen shock and cursed the Uchiha. "There, problem solved," Sasuke's smug voice informed the fuming blonde.

"You tore my shirt! What the fuck, bastard?!"

Turning, Sasuke tossed him a towel from the closet before he left the bathroom. "You have fourteen minutes now; I suggest you get started on your shower if you want to finish before I get back. And don't bother trying to pull the bar from the wall; I already tested the strength of it, it's not gonna budge." A grin lifted his lips at the curses floating after him. He sat back down on the couch, keeping an eye on the clock located on the wall across from him. He almost hoped Naruto took too long; he certainly wouldn't mind seeing that golden skin wet and glistening with water drops. Sasuke indulged with his fantasies as the one he daydreamed about muttered obscenities about him angrily.

* * *

Naruto was cussing the other man out viciously in his head as he quickly stripped his pants and briefs off, the chain of the shackles not giving him much room to move. Luckily the toilet was right next to the tub/shower, and he set the towel Sasuke had thrown at him on the toilet lid, his clothes on the tank above. He considered taking his sweet time with the shower, but knowing the vindictive bastard he really would come in when Naruto's allotted time was up and drag him out naked. So rather than risk that humiliation he briskly went about cleaning himself.

Not ten minutes later he shut the water off, feeling substantially better now that he was clean. He frowned a bit as he had to stay standing inside the tub to dry off due to the damn shackle, grabbing the towel and drying off as fast as he could. He slipped the shorts on, glad that they fit him and weren't too tight or big. He then used the towel to try to dry his hair just as Sasuke came back into the room.

Stopping at the sight of tan skin still slightly damp from the shower, Sasuke ran his eyes over the sleek muscles and smooth hairless chest in front of him. Oblivious to his presence, Naruto continued wringing water from his hair, the towel obscuring his vision. When he lowered the cloth, he started a bit at the sight of Sasuke just standing there watching him. The gleam in those dark eyes unsettled him a bit as a hot blush worked over his cheeks and down his neck.

Raising his eyes and meeting wary blue, Sasuke's expression became emotionless as he moved forward with the chain in his hand. Naruto backed up, his body hitting the tiled wall of the shower.

"Stay still, I need to get this back on you," Sasuke ordered.

"Fuck you!"

Sasuke narrowed his eyes. "Fine. You can stay right there. Good luck trying to sleep or even using the bathroom from there." He turned, ready to walk out.

"Shit." Conceding defeat, Naruto heaved a deep breath, lifting his foot as Sasuke faced him again so the other man could reach it. "I fucking hate you right now."

Sasuke simply shrugged, again coming forward to fasten the chain around Naruto's foot. "I know. But you'll thank me for this one day."

"I highly doubt that," Naruto scoffed.

Ignoring that, Sasuke locked the padlock in place, securing the chain once again. He then pulled a small key out of his pocket and unlocked the cuff, stepping back as Naruto got out of the tub. He left the blonde alone when he began pulling on the clean shirt, picking up the dirty clothes and throwing the scraps of Naruto's shirt in the garbage.

* * *

**Chapter Seven will be coming shortly...**


	7. Information That Doesn't Add Up

**Welcome to the seventh chapter update of Kuro Mitsu's 'More Than Meets the Eye'. Only a few more chapters to upload before I start writing my own… As usual, I do not own Naruto xx**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** I know, I know, I'm late with this update! I'm really sorry about that, this chapter just refused to cooperate with me. But I let Vitty read over it and she likes it (and again, I am my own worst critic). I hope you guys like it.

Thanks to **Juura99**, **sathreal**, **ToXicStArCaNdy**, **kitty Tokyo uzumaki**, **HorsesRain**, **Housenka**, **TigerDemonOwnz**, **Jojo** (your review made me laugh, it was awesome!), **Atari 9**, **sugardash** and **Peanutbaby86** for your reviews.

_Special thanks to Vitty Rose for reading over this for me, thank her for the update as she encouraged me to post._

* * *

**INFORMATION THAT DOESN'T ADD UP**

Iruka sighed for what felt like the hundredth time as he pored over Sasuke Uchiha's prison files. He'd been reading for several hours now, and his eyes were beginning to cross as he continually re-read the same information over and over. He reached for his cup of coffee, only to find the mug empty. He glowered at it as though it were a living entity and denying him his caffeine purposefully before turning back to the files.

"Still no luck finding anything that could point us to where Uchiha took Naruto?"

Looking up, Iruka met the steady gaze of his partner. Kakashi was leaning against one of the walls in the small office, the office they'd been sharing in the police department for the last five years. The collar of his turtleneck was tucked down under his chin, revealing his face and the small smirk gracing his lips, letting Iruka know he'd witnessed his little pout with the coffee mug. His mismatched eyes watched him closely, belying his easy demeanor.

"No, I can't find any mention of living family members or even distant relatives. Nothing about any close friends other than a couple employees and the murder victim, and his ex-wife is remarried and living upstate with her new husband." Iruka's voice was low, frustration evident as he glared down at the seemingly useless files.

"Don't stress yourself, 'Ruka. I've got another file to sift through anyway," Kakashi moved behind the brunette, rubbing his shoulders briefly before urging him to move aside so he could sit. "Go get some coffee and take a break while I go over it again, ok?"

Nodding, Iruka stood and grabbed his mug, moving to the small table with the coffee maker and various condiments. He emptied out the old liquid and re-filled the carafe with fresh water, adding a scoop of ground beans and pouring the water in. The pot immediately began brewing when he flicked the 'on' switch, the scent of fresh coffee hitting his nose and helping to calm him down a bit.

Iruka studied the broad figure of Kakashi as he sat looking over Sasuke's info and the folder he'd brought in as well. The man's silvery hair was sticking up in all directions; Iruka thought it could use a trim. Kakashi's eyes, one a dark grey and the other a strange reddish-brown color, were fixed on the papers he was reading; Iruka knew how focused they could get when he was engrossed in work.

Iruka stifled a yawn as he waited for the coffee to finish brewing, noting it was nearly three in the morning. This was one of the things he hated about his work: the crazy hours. Not that he'd even think of quitting and finding different work, he loved his job too much to even consider that. But he did wish sometimes for more normal hours. Being home in bed, cuddled up with Kakashi, sounded awfully damn good right now.

The silence in the room was broken only by the sounds of pages being turned and the slight sputtering of the coffee maker as it finished. Iruka rinsed out his mug and poured himself a cup, adding in a little sugar. He grabbed an extra cup, filling it and taking it to Kakashi.

"Here, you're gonna need this."

"Thanks," Kakashi smiled up at Iruka, taking a small sip of the hot drink as he went back to reading.

"So there's no record of any family living? I remember hearing about an older brother when Uchiha was first arrested, though no one could find any trace of him. It's like there's a block on his family history."

"I don't know. You'd think if he had a brother he would've shown up for his brother's trial. Unless they're estranged or just don't get along at all." Iruka sat on the edge of the desk, facing Kakashi as the pale-haired man leaned back in the swivel chair.

"State seemed to think they had a solid case. A very substantial amount of the victim's blood and DNA was found in the trunk of Uchiha's car. He'd even been seen the day before in a heated argument with Uchiha; hell, his own employees except one all testified that the argument was pretty rough." He pointed to the set of papers he'd been reading.

Iruka frowned at that. "That's what is so odd. I mean, they convicted Uchiha on murder in spite of no body being found, and his wife helped put him away. She even got weepy on the stand, saying how she was scared of his temper. Seemed a bit too contrived, don't you think?" He rifled through the files. "What was the victim's name again?"

"Alex Huang. Half-Chinese; mother is American, father moved to the U.S. from Luzhou prefecture when he was a teenager. Only information in the file on him is their names, nationality and birthdates, but no known address, work or home numbers are listed; not even their social security numbers are here. It's like the file has been cleaned out almost."

Iruka glanced down at the file, seeing a small picture of an unsmiling brown-haired young man who looked to be in his mid-twenties. He picked it up. "Sloppy police work, no body, his lawyer was a bumbling idiot assigned by the court, and his own wife testified against him; guy was railroaded." He set the picture back down, meeting Kakashi's questioning gaze.

"And the ex-wife cleaned out Uchiha's bank account, sold his shop and their house for a hefty sum and took off. Didn't even wait a month before she married again. Pretty sure she was seeing the guy while married to Uchiha."

"So you have a guy, upstanding citizen by all accounts, owns his own business – which is flourishing at the time. Suddenly his supposed close friend turns up dead, and his wife and employees all say he did it. No record of any violence or arrests. Just doesn't sound like a cold-blooded killer.

"Then we have Naruto. Gets along with everyone, does community work and charities, and is married to the warden of the very prison Uchiha escaped from. The same warden who is having an affair. I questioned a few close friends of Naruto's, and one, a Sakura Haruno, told me Naruto had asked the warden for a divorce because he had proof his husband is sleeping with his assistant. And the day after he does he's kidnapped by an inmate at his husband's prison? I don't think that's coincidence."

"I agree. It's just a bit too convenient for Uchiha to just grab Naruto when he could have escaped on his own much easier. So why'd he take him?" Kakashi queried.

Iruka pushed the files back and glanced up. "Good question. I think maybe we need to dig into Mr. Wilkes' financial and personal information closely. I have a feeling he's at the center of all this." He stood, stretching his back. "Guy gives me the creeps too." Kakashi laughed at the disgruntled look on his partner's face.

"Let's just keep this quiet until we get some solid proof. Don't want to spook him and send him running." Iruka agreed.

Kakashi stood. "Come on, let's head home. We can get a few hours' sleep before our next shift starts. Genma will call if anything new comes in."

Iruka nodded, grabbing his coat and following Kakashi out of the office.

* * *

Sasuke ground his teeth in annoyance with every bang on the bedroom wall. He glared at the other side of said wall from his location on the couch. 1… 2… 3… 4… _thud_. 1… 2… 3… 4… _thud_.

This was apparently Naruto's way of irritating Sasuke now. He'd done the same thing the day before, banging on the wall for more than three hours before stopping at lunch only to begin again for another few hours afterward. He'd done it well into the night, disturbing Sasuke who'd been trying to sleep on the lumpy, uncomfortable couch. He was half-tempted to drag Naruto outside and chain him to the porch and sleep in the nice soft bed. He was still contemplating that option.

After an hour of this repeating pattern, Sasuke finally got fed up and stormed to the bedroom doorway. He searched the room, not seeing Naruto at first. As his eyes traveled over the left side of the bed, he spotted the blonde lying on the floor with his legs up on the wall, his feet thumping alternately every few seconds with the chain hanging down and making soft clinking noises with every movement. It looked almost like he was trying to practice tap dancing.

_Thud. _

"Will you please _stop that_?"

Looking up, Naruto gave a bored glance at the irritated man hovering in the doorway before turning his attention back to the wall and continuing his banging with his feet.

"I'm bored. You won't let me out of here to watch TV, and don't tell me there isn't one because I heard it last night. And there's nothing else to do. If you didn't want me to bother you then you shouldn't have kidnapped me." Naruto didn't add that he also did it because he knew it was annoying Sasuke. If he was bored, then he'd make damn sure Sasuke was bothered enough that maybe he'd let Naruto go. And if not, then Naruto would settle with knowing it was driving the other man crazy.

"For a kidnap victim you sure as hell are demanding. Who's to say I shouldn't just kill you now and save myself the trouble?" Sasuke's voice came out in a snarl.

Naruto's gaze lifted to meet Sasuke's. "Because I figured if you were gonna kill me, you'd have done it already. I've been here for three days, and you've done nothing." He sat up, folding his legs underneath him and stopping his infernal thumping to Sasuke's relief.

"The way I see it," Naruto continued, "you need me. I'm your leverage. You get in a tight spot with cops, you know they won't come busting in here because of me." He smirked at the fuming dark-haired man. "Go ahead, tell me I'm wrong," he taunted.

Silence met Naruto's statement as Sasuke sighed. "Fine. If you'll stop that infernal thumping I'll move the chain to the living room and you can watch television." Seeing as that was the only way he was going to get any peace, Sasuke left to retrieve the key for the padlock, ignoring the now gloating blonde man. He'd kept the key on the kitchen counter instead of in his pocket, that way there was no risk of Naruto getting hold of it. Sasuke grabbed the key and walked back to the bedroom.

His hand slid into his pants' pocket, feeling the small scrap of paper there; he'd kept the note Orochimaru had given him just in case. It might be the only thing to help convince Naruto when he tells him the truth about his husband. He frowned to himself, not looking forward to that.

* * *

Itachi Uchiha was not a happy man right now. The little brother he'd been searching for these past four years had finally been located, only the information Itachi had received was far from pleasant. To discover Sasuke had been sent to prison, on murder charges no less, sent a surge of anger through the older Uchiha. His brother was no murderer! He slammed the file closed that his personal assistant had given him, not being able to bear looking at Sasuke's mug shot any longer.

"Thank you, Konan," he waved absently over the file, "were you able to get me a copy of the court transcriptions?"

Konan nodded, handing over a thick pile of paper. "This wasn't easy to get you know." The young woman stood straight in front of Itachi's desk, her shrewd eyes watching him closely as he flipped through the pages. She'd worked with the stoic businessman for a few years now, and she knew him well enough to know that he wouldn't stop digging until he found whatever it was he was looking for. Seeing as Sasuke was his only living relative now, Konan was sure he'd stop at nothing to prove Sasuke's innocence (he would never believe his little brother killed a man in cold blood) and bring him home. "I also made sure to confiscate any personal information on your family as you instructed." That had puzzled her a bit, but she knew Itachi was a very private person and hated anyone prying into his family's background.

Itachi nodded. "Very good," he shut the folder and stood fluidly from his desk, opening a small briefcase and packing the files into it. "Tell the pilot to ready the jet; I want to leave for Konoha within the hour."

Konan bowed her head slightly in acknowledgement, pulling out her cell to make the requested call as Itachi left the room. She gave the necessary information as she quickly headed to her small room on the other side of the mansion. She needed to pack; no way was she letting Itachi go alone.

* * *

_******Ok, I decided to add Itachi in this version because the original had no mention of any family for either character, and I wanted to add a bit more to the storyline. This was my intention from the beginning when I decided to re-write this story. You'll find out more about what happened between him and Sasuke in the next chapter.******_

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**Thanks for the patience - and for my current followers: hopefully you'll still be here when it's my turn to write new chapters for this story. Cheers xx**


	8. Learning the Horrible Truth

**After this chapter update, there are only four of Kuro Mitsu's chapters to upload - then it will be my turn! I do not own Naruto - mores the pity ****:(**

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**Disclaimer:** I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** I'm very sorry about the lateness of this chapter, these last few months have been rough. And unfortunately it will most likely be the first of the year before I'm able to update again as I start my seasonal job in a week and will have very little time online. So most of my free time will be at night after work, and being a beta all chapters from the authors I beta for will come first before my own. Not to say I won't try to write, I just won't have much time.

Thanks to **Akirakun17**, **Juura99**, **FishXD**, **Moonphase 9**, **AngelGirl0200**, **Blackandwhiteangel13**, **Vitty Rose**, **ToXicStArCaNdy**, **angelicrambles951**, **HorsesRain**, **Atari9** and **TigerDemonOwnz** (your review put a huge smile on my face!) for all your reviews.

_Special thanks to Vitty Rose for reading over this, and also to both her and FaiNeko for encouraging me to finish and post this._

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**LEARNING THE HORRIBLE TRUTH**

Konan studied Itachi as she settled into her seat. The private jet owned by her boss took off into the air softly, vibrations from the powerful engines barely felt. The cabin they were seated in was empty but for the two of them; it would take several hours to reach Konoha, giving her plenty of time to get an idea of what exactly the eldest Uchiha planned to do.

Itachi was leaning back in his seat, staring pensively out the window as they flew. His pitch-black hair was pulled back in a low ponytail, falling down his back just past his shoulders. His eyes looked black when you first saw them, but in reality they were a very dark grey. His skin was pale, but not sickly pale; simply the skin of a man who didn't spend much time out in the sun. His most distinctive features were age lines running down the sides of his nose from just under his eyes. Konan had seen pictures of his father, Fugaku Uchiha, and Itachi was almost a carbon copy of the man. From what she'd learned from a few business relations who'd known Itachi's father, his personality was also very much the same. Shrewd, almost cold and highly intelligent. Such a combination made for extremely successful business ventures that made the Uchihas a very wealthy family.

But in all the time she'd worked for and known Itachi, she'd never met the younger brother. He'd left more than six years ago, just before she'd first begun working as Itachi's assistant. Itachi didn't talk much about him, so it had been a shock when he'd asked her to search and retrieve any information on Sasuke two weeks ago.

"Itachi," she called softly, gaining the man's attention as dark eyes swung to face her. "Can you tell me a little something about Sasuke? I've only heard you mention him one time other than when you sent me to look for him."

Itachi stared at her for a minute, not replying. Konan worried slightly she may have overstepped her place and was about to apologize for prying when Itachi spoke.

"I haven't seen Sasuke in close to seven years. We didn't part on the best of terms, something I regret now. I could have helped him when he got into this mess two years ago." He frowned, glancing back out the window for a few seconds before turning back to Konan.

"Our parents were killed in a car accident when Sasuke was eighteen. They'd been coming back from celebrating their twenty-fifth wedding anniversary. They'd been at a stop light, and just as they were crossing after it turned green a drunk driver slammed into their car. My father died instantly, while my mother was in ICU in a coma for a week before she died from her injuries as well. Sasuke was away at college, his first year. He didn't take the news well; he was closer to Mother while I had a better relationship with Father.

"It was shortly after that Sasuke began seeing Karin Sato, a freshman in his classes. The first time he brought her to the main house I disliked her; she had an avaricious demeanour about her. I hoped for a while that it would not become anything serious. When he informed me eight months later they were getting married I tried my best to talk him out of it. He simply got angry and refused to speak to me for a few months. Then I began seeing drastic withdrawals from Sasuke's bank account – it was a joint account my father set up before he died. I continued getting statements from the bank, and what I found I didn't like."

Itachi paused, checking his cell phone quickly when a beep sounded for a text message. He ignored it and set the phone back down.

"Karin had been draining Sasuke's funds steadily. I talked with Sasuke about it, and he refused to listen. Our age difference had always been a bit of a hindrance between us with me being five years older, and we rarely spent any time together when we were younger other than at the dinner table. So we'd drifted apart, and he resented me trying to intrude on his life. Unfortunately things only got worse after that."

Konan sat in silence, listening to Itachi's story. She didn't think she'd ever heard the Uchiha speak so much in one sitting before.

Sighing, Itachi leaned back more in his seat. "As I was the eldest, I was father's heir and in charge of the business and all assets. Sasuke wasn't happy about that as I had ultimate say in his inheritance. Karin's spending got worse, and eventually I had to put a stop to it. I had the bank freeze Sasuke's access to the account, which made him furious. We had a huge argument that lasted for a few hours and ended with Sasuke storming out. He and Karin packed up and left, and that was the last time I saw him. I had no idea he'd left the east coast and gone to Washington state."

"So you had no idea where he was all that time?"

Itachi shook his head. "No. I was too stubborn to give in and search for him until recently." He'd also been traveling back and forth to his company's branch office in Tokyo, which meant he stayed a good portion of each year in Japan; he'd always loved his parents' homeland and enjoyed his time there.

"But I missed my little brother, and realized that if nothing was done then he'd be lost to me for good. Unfortunately it seems as if my fears were correct. I've wasted the last six-odd years and lost my only remaining family; I won't let that happen again. I'm prepared to do anything in my power to get Sasuke cleared and get him back home. Which is why I have no intention of leaving until that happens."

Konan's bright brown eyes regarded him solemnly. She'd had no idea the relationship between the brothers was like this. She felt bad for Itachi, who had only been trying to look out for his younger sibling while having huge responsibilities placed on his shoulders at such a young age.

"And Sasuke's wife?" she asked. She'd read the file, and was now wondering if Itachi had any plans to go after the young woman who'd basically sold Sasuke out and run off with another man.

Itachi sneered at the mention of the woman. "I will deal with her after I get this mess with Sasuke sorted out. She's a big part of why he's in prison, and I mean to make her regret ever crossing an Uchiha," his voice was cold as he spoke, making Konan shiver a bit.

_Never, ever piss this man off... _She thought to herself.

Tucking a strand of her light blue hair behind her ear (she loved the color, and had been dying her hair this shade for years), she sat back and glanced out the small window.

"We have several hours before we land; you may want to take that time and get some rest." Itachi settled more comfortably in his seat and drew the blind down on the window next to him, closing his eyes to take a short nap; he'd been running non-stop since finding out about his brother and had missed a lot of sleep.

* * *

Naruto sat on the hard floor, refusing to look at Sasuke who sat on the couch near him. The said furniture was made of cedar (it looked as though all the furniture in the cabin was made of the same wood), and had short, thick legs of the wood exposed under the rough material of the plush yet lumpy cushions. The chain hooked around Naruto's ankle was secured around one of the legs. The couch itself wasn't heavy-looking, but Sasuke was sitting on it with a smirk on his face whenever Naruto glanced at him. That alone made Naruto want to leave the room, boredom aside. That smug attitude was grating on his nerves.

Sasuke knew he was annoying the blonde.

_Payback is a bitch..._

When Naruto refused to sit beside him and instead chose the hard floor, Sasuke merely snorted and let it drop. He focused on the movie he'd put in the DVD player; since there was no cable or satellite Gaara had built up a collection of movies so that whenever he or Sasuke stayed then there would be some form of entertainment.

Huffing, Naruto suddenly stood. "I want to go back into the bedroom." He'd had enough of sitting near the pompous jerk.

One of Sasuke's eyebrows rose before he shrugged. "Fine. Don't complain later if you get bored again. I let you out to watch TV; can't blame me if you don't watch it." He got up to retrieve the padlock key from the kitchen, walking back slowly. Naruto glared at him, anger simmering over Sasuke's nonchalant attitude.

Bending down, Sasuke unlocked the chain from the couch and stepped back. He almost didn't notice the small length of chain Naruto had wound in his hand come swinging at his head; his reflexes kicked in and he dodged at the last minute, barely keeping his head from being bashed. The end of the chain caught him on the shoulder instead, and he stumbled back a bit. Seeing his advantage, Naruto shoved the other man and sent him crashing to the floor. He snatched up the bulk of the chain and took off for the front door of the cabin.

Regaining his bearings, Sasuke managed to jump to his feet quickly and made a grab for the bit of chain trailing behind Naruto. He yanked, which caused Naruto, who was now halfway out of the front door, to yelp loudly and go tumbling onto the porch hard.

"Fuck!" Naruto cursed, his elbow throbbing from where it'd collided with the planks. It also pulled Sasuke right after him, the other man being dragged forward by the chain he clutched tightly.

Just as Naruto rolled over, the breath was knocked out of him as Sasuke's body landed on top of him. Sasuke's momentum had propelled him forward and he'd lost his balance, falling directly onto Naruto. He made no move to get off Naruto, staying still on top of the glowering blonde. A half-sneer, half-smirk settled on Sasuke's lips as he took in their positions.

"Get the hell off me!" Naruto screeched after regaining his breath. Sasuke had begun wriggling a bit, making Naruto squirm at the feel of the muscled body so closely in contact with his own.

"I like where I'm at. It's actually quite comfortable for me."

"Well not for me, asshole! Get. Off."

Sasuke just stared intently. Naruto sighed in irritation. "Look, this damn chain is digging into my back, it hurts. Now let me up!"

"Serves you right, idiot. That thing hurt you know."

Naruto humph'ed. "Serves _you_ right. I'm the one who's been locked up like a dog the last week!" He pushed at Sasuke's shoulders, ignoring the heat of the muscular body lying on top of him. He refused to admit that the man had a nice body; hell would freeze over before he'd utter that.

Blue eyes widened in alarm as said body settled more comfortably on his own. The small bit of chain clumped together just beneath his shoulder blades was forgotten as Naruto glanced into Sasuke's dark gaze. Those nearly-black eyes slowly travelled from Naruto's eyes to his parted mouth, fixating on the soft, plump lips as his face hovered close above.

Sasuke seemed to snap out of his trance and jerked his head back up. He clambered off of Naruto quickly and then leaned down, offering the blonde a hand. Naruto ignored it and climbed to his feet warily, the chain now clutched in Sasuke's hand to avoid being used against him once more. He followed behind the dark-haired man back into the cabin, his attempt (pathetic as it was) at escape pushed aside as his mind raced.

_'What the hell was that? Was he about to kiss me?' _These thoughts kept tumbling around Naruto's brain. Yes, he found the escapee very attractive – he's only human – but he couldn't help being unnerved about what just happened between them.

Unaware of Naruto's troubled thoughts, Sasuke was having his own personal conversation in his head. He was berating himself for letting things get out of hand like that. He'd almost succumbed to the temptation of kissing Naruto, something he'd been wanting to do since he'd first laid eyes on the blonde man in Orochimaru's office at the prison. Never before had he felt such attraction to another person, not even his ex-wife.

A scowl crossed his face as he thought of Karin.

Heading into the bedroom, Sasuke locked the chain once more around the bed's leg post. He then left the room, walking past Naruto without a word. Naruto was sure he'd be ranting at him for his escape attempt, but to his surprise Sasuke didn't say anything and instead just walked back into the living room. A look of confusion on his face, Naruto just stood by the doorway and watched as Sasuke sat heavily on the couch.

Feeling Naruto's gaze on him, Sasuke lifted his head and stared right at the other man. He knew he'd screwed everything up, but it had to be a million times worse for Naruto as he had no idea what was really going on.

_Then it's about time that changed._

"I realize you won't believe me right now, but I'm innocent of murdering my friend," he began in a low voice. Naruto didn't move or say anything, allowing Sasuke to say what he needed to. He had a feeling he wasn't going to like it too much, but he was – despite himself – interested in what Sasuke had to say.

"My wife, well ex-wife now, set me up. She was having an affair with an old friend from school. I knew, and to be honest at the time I found out I really didn't care. Our marriage was a mistake and we both wanted out; I just had no idea how far she'd go to get out with as much of my money as she could get her hands on." Sasuke's voice was dark, anger laced in each word. He still got livid when he thought of the shop and home he'd lost, both products of him working his ass off and making a name for himself instead of his family inheritance.

"Karin was only interested in me for the Uchiha money. My older brother tried to talk me into dumping her, but I didn't want to listen. I was childish, lashing out at everything because of my parents' deaths. Thought he was trying to take my father's place. I see now he was simply concerned for me and was trying to help. But I pushed him away. We got into a huge fight and I left. That was the last time I saw him."

Naruto just stared at Sasuke. Truthfully he had no idea what to say; he had no siblings, his parents had died just after he was born so he grew up in an orphanage. He'd been bounced around in foster homes until he was an adult, all too eager by that time to be on his own. He could sympathize with Sasuke a bit on losing his parents, a tragedy they both had in common.

Sighing lightly, Sasuke glanced at Naruto; the blonde hadn't uttered a word since he'd begun talking. His fingers once again brushed over the small scrap of paper in his pocket – he'd kept it there the last few days, debating on the right time to show it to Naruto and explain what was going on.

"Look," Naruto's head lifted to meet Sasuke's gaze, "I realize we got off on the wrong foot-" A loud scoff broke his words off.

"'Got off on the wrong foot'? What are you, nuts?" Naruto's face showed slight disbelief at Sasuke's choice of words as he finally spoke up. "Getting off on the wrong foot is when you meet someone and say an inappropriate joke, or make them spill a drink by accident. I sure as hell wouldn't call shoving a gun in my face, kidnapping me and locking me in a cabin in the middle of fucking nowhere 'getting off on the wrong foot'!"

Sasuke winced a bit as Naruto's tone got progressively louder until the other man was nearly shouting. Ok, so maybe his choice of words weren't exactly the right ones. But damn it he was trying to apologize and explain his actions, the least Naruto could do was let him speak. He stood, seeing Naruto get to his feet quickly as well while giving Sasuke a wary look. Sasuke knew Naruto didn't trust him, and to be honest he hadn't given him any reason to. He'd gone about this whole situation the wrong way and now he was worried there was no way to fix it.

With a grim look on his face, Sasuke moved toward the bedroom doorway. Naruto backed up and slammed the door, the lock clicking before Sasuke could reach it.

"Damn it," he muttered under his breath. He really didn't think he could kick the door down, it was pretty thick. Plus he didn't think Gaara would be too thrilled to have his home torn apart.

"Naruto open the door. We need to talk, I have to tell you something." Sasuke rattled the doorknob, but it remained locked securely against him.

"Screw you! Sleep your ass on the couch or better yet, out in the yard!" Naruto's voice was a bit muffled through the door.

Cursing, Sasuke felt like pounding on the door.

_Calm down, it's not helping to get angry..._ he thought to himself, taking deep breaths. "Naruto, please, I really need to tell you about what's going on."

Silence met him after that. He heard no movement, so he knew Naruto was still standing on the other side.

"What do you mean 'what's really going on'?" Naruto's tone was low, making Sasuke strain to hear it.

Stepping back, Sasuke eyed the door. "Look, can you come out here? You need to see something while I explain."

"How do I know you're not planning to just kill me now and stash my body somewhere?"

"Damn it, Naruto! I'm not the one who wants you dead! I'm trying to keep you alive!" Crap, he really didn't mean to blurt it out like that. When he got no response, he spoke again. "Orochimaru wants you dead. He blackmailed me into kidnapping you for the sole purpose of killing you. I have proof."

Stunned, Naruto didn't move from his position on the other side of the locked door. What the hell did Sasuke mean? Orochimaru wanted him dead? But he was divorcing him! He was giving him his freedom, what reason would he have to want Naruto dead? He knew they'd had their troubles, but murder?

"What do you mean you have proof?" He asked through the door.

"He gave me the security code for your house alarm, told me if I killed you then he'd make sure I escaped and was able to get across the U.S. border into Canada or Mexico, whichever I preferred; if I didn't he was going to have some inmates charge me with assault and tack on even more years to my sentence. Here, I have the piece of paper he wrote the alarm code on."

Sasuke slipped the paper under the door. Bending down, Naruto picked it up and gazed at it blankly. He'd know his husband's handwriting anywhere. His brow was furrowed in thought; it was too big a lie for Sasuke to just make up, especially with the glaring evidence in his hand. There would be no reason whatsoever for him to have a small piece of paper with his house's alarm code written on it in Orochimaru's distinctive handwriting.

Unlocking the door, he came face to face with Sasuke. "How the hell did you get this?"

"I told you. Orochimaru wants you dead. He told me what time to be at the house, said you'd be alone. I took you with me to keep you safe. I knew you wouldn't believe me, so I did the only thing I could at the time."

Naruto sat down heavily on the bed. He was having a bit of a hard time absorbing it all. Glancing up at Sasuke, who stood a few feet away watching him closely, he looked back down at the paper.

"I know we've been unhappy, but I had no idea he wanted me dead. I don't understand! I told him I'd give him a divorce, hell I don't even want any of his money. Why would he do this…?"

Sasuke came a bit closer, but refrained from touching the blonde. "I don't know. But you can't go back there. He'd just get one of the other prisoners to do it, and he'd find someone with no problem killing you."

Raking a hand through his hair, Naruto sighed. His hand was bunched around the paper. Without glancing up at Sasuke he asked quietly, "Can you just leave me alone for now? I just need some time to absorb all this."

Nodding, Sasuke gave one last look to the blonde; Naruto was hunched over a bit, staring at the paper in his hand. Sasuke shut the bedroom door and headed back to the couch.

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**Thanks for reading. I hope it's not too boring...**


	9. Stolen Kisses

**It just came to my attention that after the tenth chapter, it'll be my turn to put up new updates. So yeah, sorry for the mix up. I don't own Naruto xxx**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any money off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** I am so very sorry for the lateness of this chapter, I just completely lost all inspiration for it for a while. I know the chapter is short, but I split the chapter because I don't know when I'll have it done (but I am working on it now and it won't take as long to update next time) and you guys have been waiting long enough for an update. Next chapter will pick up directly where this one leaves off.

Thank you to **Charcoal Heart**, **HinaLuvLuvChan**, **KyouyaxCloud**, **Juura99**, **sam XD im a girl by da way XD**, **HorsesRain**, **TigerDemonOwnz**, **kitty tokyo uzumaki**, **operagirl76**, **Frootloopasaur**, **LurvirsLuvvie**, **enslavedRei**, **AngelGirl0200**, **Atari 9**, **Ttrace**, **heinz246** and **Reeses and Gaara** for your reviews.

_Special thanks to Vitty Rose for reading over this for me._

* * *

**STOLEN KISSES**

Sasuke glanced at the bedroom door once again, unnerved at the silence. Naruto had been quiet the last two days. Sasuke knew the blonde was mulling over the information he'd learned; he'd not wanted to hurt Naruto but knew the other man needed to know what his husband was up to. He sighed, leaning back on the couch and debating on whether to try to get Naruto to talk to him again or just leave him alone. The hushed stillness of the cabin was driving him crazy.

He wouldn't admit the real reason he was so restless. In his mind he kept seeing Naruto's flushed face when he'd lain on him after the blonde had attempted his escape. The temptation he'd felt to kiss those soft-looking lips had been nearly overwhelming; he'd had to force himself to back off before giving in to the desire to devour the blonde alive.

But it was hard, pun intended. And after two days of Naruto hiding himself away (just when Sasuke was getting used to the brash blonde too), he felt on the verge of chucking his so-called pride out the window and begging Naruto to come out and talk. Even if it was just to berate or yell at him, he didn't care. This utter silence was getting on his last nerves.

Getting off the couch, Sasuke decided to fix some lunch. Maybe he could entice the other man out with the smell of food. He wasn't too great a cook, but he could make a decent stir fry. Gathering some chicken breast strips and his needed vegetables from the fridge, a bit disappointed there was no broccoli but shrugging it off, he set his ingredients on the counter and began the chore of chopping them up.

* * *

Naruto sat on the edge of the bed, just staring at the damning evidence of his husband's treachery. He'd felt such a rush of emotions, all by a single small scrap of paper. The first he'd felt was disbelief, followed by the hugest sense of betrayal he'd ever felt, even worse than his husband cheating on him. He had been almost numb while just gazing at the scrawled numbers, but now a white-hot fury was working through him.

Carefully folding the paper up – he had to get it out of his sight or he'd rip it to shreds – Naruto placed it in his pocket then stood and walked to the door. He was angry and wanted to hurt something, destroy whatever was close at hand in his rage, but he made himself calm down. No use taking it out on Sasuke. While he'd been holed up in the bedroom he'd realized if not for the dark-haired man, he'd most likely be dead right now.

He stepped out of the bedroom, the aroma of seasoned sautéed chicken assailing his nostrils and pulling him towards the kitchen area. He slowly walked towards the counter, seeing Sasuke standing at the stove. The man was switching between pans, stirring the sizzling chicken while watching a wok that looked to be full of sliced vegetables; a smaller pan was on a back burner. The mouthwatering aromas made his stomach growl loudly.

"Smells good," Naruto commented.

"It'll be done in a few minutes, just waiting for the rice to finish," Sasuke said. "Grab the plates would you?"

Naruto nodded, heading to the cabinet Sasuke pointed out. His movements were quiet, the rattle of the chain conspicuously absent for the first time since he'd been in the cabin; Sasuke had actually unlocked the chain yesterday, promising a silent Naruto he'd tell him whatever he wanted to know when he was ready. He knew Naruto had no intention of going anywhere after discovering what his husband had tried to do, knowing he'd have to stay hidden a while to figure out what his next move was.

Taking down two plates and rummaging in a drawer for silverware, Naruto carried them to the counter and set them down. Sasuke set the pan of white rice down next to them, dishing out a spoonful for each plate, before adding the cooked chicken into the wok of vegetables and bringing it to the counter as well.

After both men fixed their plates they took their food to the small table to eat. Naruto took a tentative bite first, glancing at Sasuke as he chewed the flavorful chicken and a piece of carrot.

"Pretty good," he admitted after swallowing.

Sasuke nodded. "Glad you like it. And more so that you decided not to throw it at me again." He chuckled lightly at the blush that rose onto Naruto's cheeks.

"You deserved that! And for chaining me up for over a week."

Sasuke's brow rose. "Would you have stayed otherwise? You wouldn't have believed me no matter what I told you, and you'd have been out the door in seconds. I couldn't let that happen."

Naruto sighed. "I know. But I need to know, Sasuke. And right now you're the only one who can give me the truth on what's going on."

"I've told you the majority of what I know, but ask me whatever you want."

"Ok." Naruto took another bite before speaking again. "I want to know everything you know, we'll talk as soon as we finish lunch."

"Deal," Sasuke agreed. Both men then continued eating, neither speaking as thoughts whirled through both their minds.

Fifteen minutes and another serving later Naruto stood, carrying his empty plate to the sink.

"Since you cooked, I'll wash," he murmured.

Sasuke raised a brow in amusement but didn't argue, merely handing his plate and fork to the blonde as Naruto filled the sink with soapy water. He saved the pans for last, rinsing them off and placing them in the dish drain before grabbing a hand towel and wiping his hands dry. He turned and came face to face with Sasuke, who'd stood watching him the past several minutes. That intense look was back in those dark eyes, making Naruto swallow nervously.

Sasuke had slowly moved closer to Naruto while the other man was washing the dishes. The instant Naruto turned around he found himself caged in against the counter, Sasuke's arms trapping him in place. His ebony stare was fixated on Naruto's lips.

Neither moved a muscle for several seconds. Naruto could do nothing it seemed but watch as if paralyzed as Sasuke's face lowered towards his own, his heart racing wildly. His breath hitched as those pale lips finally made contact with his.

Soft, yet firm. Sasuke marveled at the feel of Naruto's lips on his own. He brushed them lightly at first, afraid of rejection, but Naruto didn't push him away. Instead the blonde reached up and grasped Sasuke's shoulders tightly, fingers digging into the hard muscle as Sasuke deepened the kiss.

Countless seconds ticked by as the two men remained in their embrace. Neither seemed willing to part until Sasuke moved his arms and settled his hands on Naruto's upper hips while his tongue sought entry into the warmth of Naruto's mouth. With a gasp Naruto broke away, backing into the counter behind him, his bright blue eyes wide in shock.

"Y-you shouldn't… _we_ shouldn't," Naruto stuttered out. Sasuke nodded, stepping back.

"You're right. I apologize." Though he really wasn't sorry, that kiss had been so much more than he'd expected or imagined and he couldn't regret it.

Naruto's face felt like it was on fire, his cheeks rosy with a heated blush. His lips were tingling from the contact with Sasuke's. He'd not been kissed like that in… well, never really. Orochimaru's kisses had been nice when they'd first begun dating, but they'd never made his heart beat so crazily or his knees feel weak, and he didn't really have any comparison to what Sasuke made him feel.

The pull he felt for the raven-haired man scared him a bit in its intensity.

Sasuke likewise had similar thoughts. That was so much better than he'd anticipated, and all he wanted was to pull Naruto close and claim those lush lips again. He fought with himself not to grab Naruto and kiss him senseless. He glanced over and saw the younger man standing warily by the counter, having moved out of Sasuke's immediate reach to avoid temptation.

Moving to sit back down at the table, he gestured for Naruto to take his seat once again. A bit shaken by what just happened and by his developing feelings, Naruto sat facing Sasuke. He cleared his throat, his gaze meeting Sasuke's shyly for a moment before tearing away. He took a deep breath and again met Sasuke's eyes, ready to find out exactly what went on with Sasuke and Orochimaru, and why his husband wanted him dead.

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**Chapter Ten is on its way - then it will be MY TURN! xx**


	10. The Trouble With Uchihas

**Here it is - the last chapter Kuro Mitsu wrote before passing the baton onto me. After this chapter, I'm on my own. As ever, I do not own Naruto - which totally sucks ****:(**** xx**

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**Disclaimer: **I do not own Naruto or any of its characters, nor do I make any profit off this story. I also do not own the movie 'Abducted', that is owned by Lifetime.

**AN:** Again, I'm very sorry it's late. I've been a bit busy with a drabble series and I am writing a new Kingdom Hearts story as well as a new Naruto story. My focus hasn't been what it should be for this story, and I struggled with it.

Thanks to **ILOVEGAARA**, **ToXicStArCaNdy**, **Kyuuka-koinu**, **MyNameIsSara**, **Atari 9**, **Juura99**, **samXD im a girl by da wayXD**, **chocojunkie**, **Akirakun17**, **Imarriedmalfoy**, **SasuCakes15** and **Ryuu** for your reviews.

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**THE TROUBLE WITH UCHIHAS**

"I want to know everything that he said to you, his exact plans for me," Naruto's voice came out much steadier than he'd thought. His nerves were raw at the moment, both from pure anger and a bit of shock. He just couldn't get past the fact that Orochimaru had tried to have him killed. He settled himself for the conversation, knowing he wouldn't like what he was about to hear but needing to hear it nonetheless.

Sasuke nodded. "Just over a week ago he called me into his office, told me about some bullshit assault charges he planned to file on me due to a fight I'd had with some inmates a few days earlier. He said he'd forget about it if I did him a favor. Said I could escape to Canada or Mexico, my choice, he'd even get authorities led in the wrong direction to give me time to leave the country. All I had to do was kill you."

Naruto was pale. "Why you?"

"He saw the way I looked at you in his office," Naruto's face reddened as he remembered that appraising look, "he knew I was attracted to you. He suggested I… rape you, make it seem like a sex crime." Sasuke stumbled over his words a bit, he was uncomfortable even saying it aloud.

"He gave me the code for the security system to the house, and he'd catalogued your daily movements to give me the best time to take you. I refused at first, and he said he'd find another inmate to do the job. That was the reason I agreed; I didn't want to take the chance of him actually finding someone else who'd have no problem killing you. I figured you'd be safer with me until I could find a way to help you." He noticed the shudder that went through the blond, Naruto's face blanching at what he was hearing.

Naruto remained quiet for a few minutes, thinking over all that he'd learned. While he was furious and alternately terrified at what his husband was capable of, a small part of him was sad. What had he done to make the man he'd married hate him enough to want him dead?

"I'm not sure what his full plans are, but he's very anxious for your death. Do you have a life insurance policy or some money put up somewhere?"

Naruto sighed and shook his head in denial. "No. I mean I have life insurance, but it's not for any more than around twenty-five thousand dollars, enough to take care of funeral costs and have a little left over. Certainly not enough for him to want me dead that badly. And I have less than a thousand in my bank account."

"Any family? Someone who could have left you an inheritance?"

Again Naruto shook his head. "I was an orphan, I have no living family that I know of. And besides, if I did have some kind of inheritance wouldn't I have received some kind of notice for it when I turned eighteen or twenty-one?"

Sasuke sat in contemplation. "Maybe he took out another policy on you that you don't know about. Why else would he be so desperate to have you killed?"

"I don't know," Naruto whispered, the entire situation weighing heavily on him.

Seeing the blond's expression, Sasuke wanted to hold him and tell him everything would be alright, but he knew Naruto wouldn't be too comfortable with that after their encounter in the kitchen, and he couldn't promise that everything would be ok.

"Listen, I have a friend who might be able to help. He owns this cabin; his name's Gaara. I'll call him and see what he can do."

Naruto gave him a weak smile, and Sasuke took out the disposable cell phone Gaara had left for him so they'd be able to get in contact, speed dialing the number his friend had programmed into it.

* * *

Iruka was once again sifting through the files on Sasuke Uchiha, looking for a connection, any at all, to point where he could be hiding with Naruto. There had to be someone Uchiha was close with before he was sent to prison, someone he'd contact if he needed help. But so far Iruka was coming up empty-handed and it was making him frustrated.

After reading over the court transcripts and looking at the evidence (and thinking on the lack of it as well), he was of the opinion that the justice system failed with catching the true killer of Alex Huang, if the man was even truly murdered in the first place. Too much circumstantial evidence and not enough physical, and no body found; it just didn't sit right with Iruka. He'd studied the crime scene photos endlessly, and it just came across as too staged for him. His gut was telling him Sasuke Uchiha was framed for a murder that never occurred. But no matter his personal feelings, his first priority was bringing Uchiha back in and finding Naruto, preferably alive and safe.

He leaned back in his chair, rubbing his tired eyes just as Genma rushed into the office.

"You're not gonna believe this Iruka," the brunet glanced at the younger officer in curiosity, "there's a guy out here stating he's Uchiha's older brother."

"Seriously? Why isn't he mentioned in any of the files?"

Genma shrugged. "Dunno. But he's in the interrogation room with Kakashi."

Iruka hopped up, following Genma out of the office and down the hall. He saw a dark-haired man sitting patiently at the table through the window of the interrogating room as he passed, a blue-haired woman standing just behind him. Kakashi stood as Iruka was about to enter the room, frustration evident on his face.

At first glance, the man at the table literally oozed wealth. A chic Armani suit clung to his fit body, the dark color making him seem more austere. But Iruka could clearly see he was no pushover or one of those rich playboys who used money to buy their way through life. He could almost feel the powerful authority the man exuded; this wasn't someone to play around with.

Dark, cool eyes met his own as he walked in. Iruka took a seat across from the stoic man. He mentally noted the resemblance to his younger brother. Kakashi leaned against the wall just behind Iruka, arms folded over his chest. "This is my partner, Iruka Umino. Iruka, this is Itachi Uchiha, Sasuke Uchiha's older brother."

Itachi remained impassive at the introduction. "Have you found any clues to where my brother may be?" His deep voice was tinged with the slightest bit of anger as he directed his question to Iruka.

"There have been no leads as of yet to where he's disappeared to, Mr. Uchiha. As soon as we have your brother in custody we will contact you," Iruka spoke quietly but surely, meeting the dark-haired man's unreadable gaze. "Do you know any of your brother's friends, someone he may have turned to? He's taken a young man hostage, and we all want him returned safely as well as your brother. The longer he runs the worse it will get for him."

Itachi shook his head slightly. "I'm sorry detective, but I have not spoken with Sasuke in years. I have no idea who he keeps company with." His gaze swept over both detectives. "Getting Sasuke back safely is my only concern at this time, I've lost years with him and have no intention of losing even more."

He stood, his demeanour clearly dismissive of the two detectives. The woman accompanying him followed behind as he headed for the door.

"It would be best if you stay in town, in case we get any news," Iruka stated to the retreating back. A derisive snort was his only answer as the door shut quietly.

"Well that could have gone better," Kakashi muttered sarcastically, plunking down brusquely in a chair beside the brunet. "He didn't give any information, and his attitude was starting to piss me off."

Iruka nodded. "I agree. And I have a feeling he's going to be sticking around a while; wouldn't surprise me if he has his own investigator working on finding his brother." He frowned in annoyance. Just what they needed: another complication in an already complicated case.

* * *

Neji Hyuuga strode down the silent hallway, his shoes making light clicks as he walked. He was going to be late for his shift if he didn't hurry; he had to turn in his bi-yearly evaluation and today was the deadline. He had a feeling it was going to be a bad day; he really hated Mondays.

Upon arriving at the human resources office where the evaluation was to be turned in, Neji spied a slender redhead sitting on one of the thinly padded metal chairs. Mint green eyes met his, and Neji noticed a small kanji tattoo above the man's left eye.

_On the other hand, this might not be so bad a day after all..._ He thought, eyeing the redhead appreciatively.

* * *

****So Gaara's finally made an appearance, I plan to pair him up with Neji so for anyone not liking that pairing I'm sorry. You'll find out more about his conversation with Sasuke and why he's at the prison next chapter.****

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**O-kay... I can see why Kuso Mitsu got writer's block. But don't despair - I've only lost one story, I'm not about to lose another one. Tee Hee. Anyway, stay tuned for the next chapter - it will be the start of my chapter updates. Wish me luck :D**


	11. Betrayed and Incarcerated

**Hello! Welcome to chapter eleven! It's my turn now to help get this story off the ground. Last chapter saw Iruka and Kakashi meeting Itachi and Koran (I've misspelt that haven't I?) inquiring about the whereabouts of Sasuke; Naruto and Sasuke discussing why Orochimaru wants him dead, while trying to distract themselves from the unexpected, yet wonderful kiss they had shared and their growing mutual feelings towards each other; and Sasuke making a phone call to Gaara who is being checked out by a very interested Neji who works at an employment agency. **

**Hmmm… Let's see what I can cook up.**

**The worst thing about being a fan of Naruto is not having ownership of him. It would be a different matter if I had the money to buy him. But then again if Naruto was real and heard me admit that I'm likely to be bitch slapped.**

_Blah Blah Blah: _**Flashback.  
**Blah Blah Blah: **Present Day.**

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**BETRAYED AND INCARCERATED**

Gaara caught the unexpected, fascinated gaze of a young man about his age who had long, well-groomed chocolate brown hair tied back at the bottom with a hair elastic. The man's eyes were an eerie lavender which freaked Gaara out completely because the man appeared blind, but at the same time the redhead was quite sure that the man could see him perfectly.

_Where are his pupils? _The aloof young man wondered as he waited for his turn, sitting upon a really uncomfortable metal chair with limited padding to soothe his already numbing ass.

However, Gaara couldn't help but find this unsettling young man fixated on him strangely interesting and his gaze was constantly shifting over to where the man was standing as he observed his appearance… was that a _**wink**_!? Gaara's mint coloured eyes widened in surprise, as the man walked straight towards the Human Resources office. He raised a non-existent eyebrow.

_He's an employee here? _He mused just as his mobile phone suddenly vibrated in his pocket. Relieved from his troubled musings, Gaara pulled his still vibrating phone free and looked down at the caller. He smirked as he flipped open the phone to answer.

"Hello, Uchiha. Is my house still standing or have you accidentally burnt it down?" Gaara inquired teasingly as the Uchiha growled humourlessly down the line.

"Very funny, Gaara. Your house is still standing, but that's NOT why I'm calling you. I require some assistance from you." Sasuke stated getting straight to the point. Gaara rolled his eyes.

"A second one?" _God, Uchiha what have you gotten yourself into this time? _Sasuke held his tongue trying to stifle his growing impatience. Sometimes Gaara was far too cautious for his own good.

"Yes, I need you to help me recover any information you can recover about Naruto Wilkes." The non-existent eyebrow travelled further up the redhead's forehead. The name sounded familiar.

"_Naruto Wilkes_? Isn't he the husband of Orochimaru Wilkes? The Warden of Konoha Reformatory whose trying to run for Mayor?" Sasuke's eye twitched with irritation.

"The very same man… unfortunately." Sasuke's deep voice sounded disgusted, like he had a horrible taste in his mouth that he desperately wanted to remove.

"Unfortunately?"

"Yes." Gaara glared at the phone wishing it would translate to the Uchiha his irritation of that answer.

"Are you going to elaborate? Because I cannot help you, if you don't give me all the facts." Gaara stated as he heard Sasuke sigh apologetically.

"A week ago, that son-of-a-bitch Orochimaru 'selected' me to kidnap Naruto and take him to a remote place so I could kill him. He threatened with false accusations from other inmates that I supposed fought with if I didn't comply with his wishes." Gaara heard some shuffling on Sasuke's end of the phone which hinted that somebody else was in the room with him, whom he assumed was Naruto. He listened as Sasuke used soothing words to calm him before continuing his explanation to Gaara. "If I succeeded in killing Naruto, it would earn me my freedom to retreat to Canada or Mexico and he'd keep the authorities off my ass by giving them a false trail, _provided _thatI dealt with Naruto first."

Gaara was shocked, then suspicious about why Sasuke was being blackmailed for such a terrible act.

"But why choose you for the job? No offence of course." He questioned cautiously.

"None taken, but-" Gaara heard him shifting uncomfortably, "Orochimaru chose me because he witnessed me watching Naruto affectionately. He suggested that I…rape him - make it look like a 'crime of passion'" He spat the words with revulsion. "So he cavalierly handed me their home security code and told me the best moments to abduct Naruto."

"Why didn't you refuse, Sasuke?" Gaara asked sounding a bit exasperated.

"I did. I'd sooner allow myself to be king hit at the Prison than do this." Sasuke sounded offended that Gaara would suggest that he'd do such a thing willingly. "But Orochimaru explained that if I didn't, then he'd hire another inmate who wouldn't hesitate." Gaara sighed wearily. His friend had clearly gotten himself into a seemingly impossible situation.

"Right… and what does all this have to do with Orochimaru seeking someone to eliminate his husband?" Gaara questioned sounding like he was needing a stiff drink. There was a pregnant pause which indicated to him that Sasuke was trying to find an appropriate way to word his answer properly.

"I have a hunch that Orochimaru is after some sort of financial fund that Naruto will be or already is entitled to." Gaara pressed his lips together to the point that they nearly disappeared. It was clear that this situation was quickly becoming even more dicey than it already was. Particularly if Orochimaru's supposed plan was to gain a substantial amount of money.

"Did you ask Naruto if he knew of any funds he might have gotten from his family?" Gaara finally asked, praying that his suspicion was false. Sasuke grunted in the affirmative.

"Yes, but he told me that the only money he has that could be of _any_ use to Orochimaru was their life insurance." Gaara's stomach sank like a pebble in deep waters. "But I can sense this is definitely not the case and that Naruto is unaware of that possibility, or has thought about it but felt it wasn't necessary to follow up on it." Sasuke suggested causing Gaara to agree, rolling his eyes. Sighing Gaara glanced at his watch - trying to decide if he would have enough time to both research Naruto's past AND gain some assistance with finding a job.

3:30pm.

_What time does the Library close again? _Gaara thought as he differed the choices. Quickly deciding that he didn't have time to do both, but seeing Sasuke and Naruto's situation more important than his career choice, decided to change his appointment to a later date.

"I'll get on it, Sasuke. If I find anything - I'll come 'round and show you." He promised and rung off, sliding his phone into the back pocket of his jeans as he scanned the counter to see if anyone was being served. There was one window open, and it was the window belonging to the man with the freaky lavender eyes…

* * *

Sasuke hit the end button on the disposable phone and placed it back on the counter. He smoothed his fringe out of his eyes as he turned around to find Naruto looking at him worriedly.

"You okay?" Naruto asked softly causing Sasuke to smile a little at the concern. He walked over to where Naruto was sitting on the couch and kissed him affectionately on his temple.

"Yeah, just a little frustrated." Sasuke sighed as he cuddled Naruto protectively against his chest, trying to soothe the obvious anxiety he could sense from the man in his arms. It was understandable why Naruto was feeling this way - who wants to learn that your husband is trying to have you killed for reasons you have no idea about?

"There's something I've been meaning to ask you." Naruto began tentatively, fidgeting with a loose thread on the T-shirt he had borrowed from Gaara. Sasuke frowned curiously.

"What do you want to know?" Naruto shifted himself so that he was facing Sasuke.

"How did you end up in prison?" came the reluctant question.

Sasuke was silent for a moment as the memories of the event that sent him to prison and into Naruto's life flicked through like an iPod shuffle in his head. He didn't particularly want to tell Naruto why he had been put in prison, but knew it was only fair since he was trying to save the blonde's life, and he was technically invading his privacy by getting a total stranger, which Gaara essentially was, to research his past life and find out why Orochimaru wanted him dead. Then they would figure out a way to save Naruto's life and get Orochimaru arrested.

Sasuke took in a deep breath to relax himself before getting to his feet and pacing the length of the room.

"Before I was tried convicted and sent to prison, I was the successful owner of a small business that I founded myself. My family were obscenely rich and were moulding my older brother and I into respectable, but powerful business tycoons to take over my Father's business when he eventually retired."

Naruto nodded letting Sasuke know that he so far understood his story. Seeing this, Sasuke exhaled and continued. "I regret it now, but I used to heavily resent my brother because of how much our parents doted upon him and expected me to follow his so-called example. One day, I received word that something happened to my parents. I was in college at that time."

**X**

_"Excuse me, professor?" _

_Sasuke glanced away from his Lecturer towards the door to the Auditorium his Lecture was taking place. It was one of the student teachers that worked the phones and gave helpful directions at the College's Reception. The expression on her face was grave._

_"Yes, what is it?" The Professor looked slightly peeved at the interruption as he was in the middle of some crucial information and directed his attention up towards the student teacher. Sasuke watched as the girl strode towards the Lecturer holding out a folded piece of paper which the man took and scanned briefly. His professional demeanour immediately dropped into one of sadness and Sasuke's eyebrow rose when the Lecturer's eyes fixed upon him. _

_"Mr. Uchiha?" _

_"Sir?" replied Sasuke using a slightly wary tone in his voice. _

_"Would you come up here, please?" _

_An unexpected cold shiver ran down Sasuke's spine as he awkwardly got up from his fold-down seat and strode briskly down the staircase towards the front of the room where the Lecturer's lectern stood. The light from the PowerPoint projector blinded him when he looked at it accidentally and he could feel the curious, concerned gazes stabbing into his back from the other business degree students as he frowned uncertainly and took the note from his Professor - who fixed him with a look of pity. _

_Sasuke cringed._

_"What's this?" He asked. When he received no reply, Sasuke reluctantly unfolded the paper and scanned it. "No…" He whispered before immediately turned and bolted up the stairs, disappearing out of the Auditorium. Shocked eyes followed his retreating form as he went._

**X**

"The letter had informed me that my parents had been involved in a car accident while they were on their way back from their twenty-fifth anniversary dinner. I learnt later on that the accident had been caused by a drunk driver running a red light, and the impact had instantaneously killed my father and sent my mother to the ICU." Sasuke explained to a horrified Naruto.

He ignored the sympathy he could read in his eyes as he wanted to quickly explain the story to him before the hurt could completely overwhelm him - even though it was seven years since the event had happened. Sasuke discreetly wiped away tears that started welling up in his onyx eyes before Naruto could notice.

**X**

_"Hey." _

_Sasuke looked up from the book he was reading. _

_He should've been at home mourning the loss of his parents, but he didn't want to be around his brother or his other grieving relatives. He preferred studying and keeping himself busy to help keep his mind off of the tragedy. The coy greeting belonged to a somewhat attractive girl with long firey red hair that ended near her shoulder blades, and an equally coloured set of eyes which were currently batting coquettishly at him, privately turning Sasuke's stomach. _

_The raven took that moment to briefly scan her: she was tall with an hour-glass shaped body; not too skinny but not overweight either, her long red hair was spiky on one side and neatly brushed on the other, and she wore black horn-rimmed glasses that accentuated her ruby red eyes. _

_Sasuke looked back at his book. __"Hn." _

_The girl, obviously assuming that he hadn't rejected her continued talking._

_"Is this seat taken?" __Sasuke glanced over towards the chair next to him and back up at her before he shrugged._

_"Be my guest." He said sounding bored and continued reading his text. The girl giggled with amusement which instantly irritated Sasuke. He didn't see what was so amusing about letting her sit next to him. She resumed conversation._

_"My name's Karin Sato. What are you studying?" She asked chatty like as she waited patiently for Sasuke to respond._

_"Sasuke Uchiha. Business." He answered with short, singular responses which made Karin frown curiously._

_"Are you okay?" She asked sounding concerned. _

_"I'm fine." Sasuke stated firmly trying to subtly hint to this girl that he wasn't interested and to get lost before his ingrained politeness wore off and he told her where to go. The girl was lucky that he was respecting his recently deceased mother's memory by being the gentleman she had groomed him to be. Especially around women - no matter how annoying they may be._

_"You don't look fine." She frowned at him before beaming just as quickly. "I tell you what, how about I buy you a drink? That might cheer you up!" she said both flirtatiously and enthusiastically. _

_Sasuke tried to reign in his temper._

_"Thank you, but…"_

_"Great! I'll meet you in the Courtyard at 7:00. See you then!" Then she got up from her seat and walked off, leaving Sasuke gaping at her retreating back and giving an exasperated sigh._

**X**

"Against my better judgement, I decided that having a drink with Karin couldn't hurt. I mean, where's the harm? Just one drink, then she'd leave me alone and I'd never see her again, right?

Wrong. I don't have a high alcohol tolerance, and I discovered very quickly that when one is under the influence of alcohol, strong or not, one tends to reveal much more than intended."

"What did you tell her?" asked Naruto sounding nervous all of a sudden. Sasuke smiled and tenderly caressed Naruto's cheek trying to reassure him and eradicate the fears he could see blossoming in the beautiful blonde's eyes. Naruto smiled and leaned into the touch giving Sasuke exactly what he had aimed for before answering the question.

"What had happened to my parents, my brother and the relationship I had with him, and about my family in general. Eventually, I got comfortable enough around her that I decided to ask her out." Naruto frowned having a rough assumption about where this was going to go. That, and the sudden jealousy that created roots within his heart when Sasuke had confessed that this Karin had become his girlfriend.

"When I brought her home to meet my brother, I sensed the tension immediately coming from him…"

**X**

_"Your brother, sir and his friend," said the Butler formally to Itachi who turned to see his baby brother and a girl with red hair and glasses walking into the study. Sasuke had a scowl on his face that immediately told the older raven that he'd prefer not to be here, but seeing as Itachi was now the Lord of their home since the death of their parents, he had the right to approve any potential suitors Sasuke may have so he could have a lengthy happy marriage with the right person._

_"Thank you, Alistair. You may leave." Itachi dismissed him as he studied the girl with an indifferent expression on his face. _

_The butler bowed respectfully, giving Karin a look of contempt before shutting the heavy door behind him. Itachi approved Alistair's reaction; it strongly mirrored his assumptions as well. Karin had an unmistakable mercenary glint in her eyes as she surveyed the lavishly decorated study, oblivious that Itachi was watching her every move like a hawk. Eventually, her eyes clapped on to Itachi's and she fixed a fake smile on her face._

_"What a beautiful room you both have." she gushed sincerely, causing Itachi to restrain himself from spitting with disgust at the obvious materialism Karin displayed._

_"Yeah, Mother and Father put a lot of time and effort into this room." Sasuke agreed proudly, squeezing Karin's hand affectionately as Itachi shuddered inwardly._

_"Yes, they certainly did." _

_Sasuke seemed to have realised that Itachi and Karin hadn't been formally introduced to each other._

_"Itachi. This is my girlfriend, Karin. Karin, this is my older brother Itachi." Karin widened her fake smile._

_"Pleased to meet you, Itachi." she trilled sweetly, that same glint as before reflecting in her greedy red eyes. Itachi nodded, frowning softly - which indicated to Sasuke that there was something that didn't agree with the older raven._

_"If you'll excuse me, I need to deal with some business matters." Itachi explained before making a hasty exit, much to Karin's confusion and Sasuke's fury._

**X**

"Itachi made it quite clear to me later on that he didn't trust Karin at all, later on when she had gone home that night. I was outraged, thinking my brother was trying to control my life like my Father tried to when he was alive. A few years went by, and both Karin and I graduated from College, and Itachi had been promoted to CEO of Uchiha Industries. I decided that I wished to marry Karin, feeling that it was the right time and that she was the one, if you believed in all that bullshit."

Naruto secretly did - and knew a couple of years into his marriage to Orochimaru that his husband was definitely not the one he thought he was. He wanted to be happy and loved with somebody who valued him, not plotted against and sent off to be killed by a criminal who wanted to gain his freedom. Not that Sasuke was doing that, of course.

"I announced my marriage to Itachi who immediately objected, much to my fury…"

**X**

_"I do not approve." _

_"What? How dare you!"_

_"It is not in my nature to _dare _anyone, Sasuke. I do not believe that Karin is a suitable choice in a wife." Itachi replied calmly to a livid Sasuke who was getting redder and redder by the minute. He couldn't believe how selfish his brother was being._

_"And what do you believe is a suitable wife, Itachi?" Sasuke stood from the comfortable armchair, "And make it a good explanation." He demanded acidly folding his arms over his chest as he glared at Itachi who was sitting in another equally as comfortable armchair, reading a novel. Itachi sighed and marked his place in the book before setting it aside and giving his brother his full attention, picking his words carefully as to not enrage Sasuke even further._

_"My view of a suitable wife is one whom is humble, compassionate and who unconditionally loves her husband, regardless of any faults he may accumulate throughout their lives together." He paused letting the facts sink in, "Karin on the other hand is a selfish, manipulative, conceited, not to mention a perverted gold-digger." Itachi then stood from his chair and made a beeline for the study door. _

_He paused, looking over his shoulder at his seething baby brother._

_"However, you are an adult and whether I agree to it or not, you will marry her. So I will step aside… for now." then made a hasty exit leaving Sasuke alone with his thoughts._

**X**

"Itachi was right. I did marry her and for the first few years everything was fine, nothing usual occurred. Or so I thought. A couple years later, Itachi approached me claiming that unusually large sums of money had been frequently withdrawn from my account. If it wasn't dealt with soon, then he would have to take drastic action. At the time, I had noticed the suspicious withdrawals for items that I had no recollection of, so I questioned Karin about it and she denied claims that she had been withdrawing money from our account. So foolishly, I let it slide."

Sasuke's face immediately went hard which frightened Naruto a little. The only other time he'd seen the raven's face shift like that was the first time he had thrown a plate full of food against the wall in his anger at being chained up in the bedroom.

"One day, I went to withdraw some money from my account myself and found that all my assets had been frozen. I challenged Itachi on it and he admitted that he had the account frozen due to the inappropriately large amount of money withdrawn. I was furious, and decided then and there to emancipate myself from my brother and his controlling ways. I haven't spoken with him in years. The following year, I established my own business…"

**X**

_A knock on his office door caught Sasuke's attention, he glanced up and frowned._

_"Yes, come in?" He called out placing down his pen. The door opened and in stepped his assistant who smiled nervously at him._

_"Sorry to disturb you, sir but your wife is on line one and Mr Huang is here for his job interview." She reported politely. Sasuke nodded._

_"Thank you, Celeste - tell Mr Huang to make his way in, I'll see him now." Sasuke decided that Karin could wait for half an hour, whatever she wanted to say wasn't important. He had a vague idea what it was, and he had told her consistently that it wasn't possible._

**X**

"A few months into the job, I was looking at potential employers and having some issues with Karin. It seemed that she would be taking long nights away from home on random occasions and when I questioned her on this, she merely shrugged and stated that she had a lot of work to finish. I suspected that she was cheating on me, and once I had established a set of loyal reliable employees including a young graduate named Alex Huang whom I believed showed great potential, I decided to investigate this further."

"Alex Huang?" Naruto interrupted, "Isn't he that guy they accused you of killing in cold blood?" He frowned with confusion. Sasuke nodded solemnly and bitterly.

"Yes, he was - and I can't stress enough to you that I'm not guilty as far as that scenario was concerned." Naruto raised an eyebrow which made Sasuke suddenly realise how incredibly cliché his previous statement sounded. "Yes, I am aware how disbelieving that was, but for once, I implore you to understand my innocence." The blonde nodded. Sasuke swallowed before continuing. "One night after one particularly stressful day, I set about planning on confronting Karin and demanding the truth. However, it appeared that she had other plans…"

**X**

_Sasuke let himself into his mansion and strode into the living room, surprised that there was nobody there to greet him or take his briefcase. Frowning, he wondered towards his den and heard quiet, but frustrated sounding mutterings. He opened the door a crack, trying not to pull attention towards himself and listened in to the conversation currently transpiring._

_"What are you doing? Sasuke will be home soon!" He heard Karin's sharp voice talking to an unknown perpetrator who Sasuke immediately realised was male judging by the deep, amused chuckling he could now hear._

_"__**Soon **__being the keyword here, sweetheart." _

_Sasuke frowned harder, but forced himself not to immediately storm into the room demanding to know what the hell was going on, for two reasons: one, it would be extremely foolish and it was not like him at all; and two, Sasuke wanted to know all the facts BEFORE barrelling into the room to demand what was going on. However when he pressed his ear to the wood of the door and started hearing the lip smacking sounds of a rather passionate kiss, Sasuke wished he wasn't so curious at times, then the corrosive burn of betrayal sloshed its way up his throat._

_"I told you no! We can't be together!" Karin insisted sounding both flustered and angry. _

_"Baby, what is it going to take for us to be together? Do I have to kill your husband? Is that what it will take!?" the impatient man demanded, as Sasuke froze. He could swear could hear his blood thudding loudly in his ears as he waited for Karin to vehemently deny it, order him out of their house and 'wait' for Sasuke to arrive home - playing the role of the devoted wife… before Sasuke would then file for divorce faster than you could say "It's over!" _

_However Karin was merely silent for several seconds before she hummed with approval._

_"Well, that plan has merit. But Sasuke does have a powerful older brother who despite Sasuke severing all ties with him, will surely flatten us if he suddenly hears along the grapevine that his beloved baby brother suddenly disappeared without a trace." _

Shit! Itachi was right. What have I done? _Sasuke thought before Karin suddenly spoke again._

_"I think the best way to get what we want and to remove Sasuke from the picture would be to frame him. Then when he goes to gaol, as his wife I'll inherit all his wealth and privileges the moment he is tried and convicted." She sounded dreamy-like, which made Sasuke feel as though he was going to hurl violently. He was a fool and should've trusted his brother's instincts instead of being cheated on by a woman who was only after his worldly goods._

Luckily, I'm on to her plan. So all I need to do is keep on to my toes and-

_The door opened unexpectedly and Sasuke fell into the room with a surprised 'oof', startling Karin and the unknown man whom turned out to be one of Sasuke's work colleagues - a man named Suigetsu __Hōzuki. At first, both had the 'oh-shit-we're-so-busted' expressions on their faces before they realised the golden opportunity that fell into the laps and smirked sinisterly._

_"Oh! Sasuke, sweetheart? How was your day at work?" Karin asked with false interest whilst Suigetsu pulled free a gun that he had stashed away in a hidden place and moved to knock Sasuke out. Sasuke glared acidly at his soon to be ex-wife._

_"Go pull the other one, I heard everything you both were discussing Karin, and believe me - your plan will never get off the ground. I'll make sure of it!" Sasuke promised getting to his feet. _

_Karin scoffed unimpressed._

_"You think so, Sasuke-kun?" She leant in close to Sasuke's face as though trying to sneak in a marital kiss from her husband. "We'll see about that now, shall we?" and before Sasuke could react, he was suddenly hit from behind hard and his world went dark._

**X**

"The next time, I awoke. I was lying in a heap within the confines of my workplace with the body of Alex Huang lying beside me with bullet holes in his chest and he staring at me lifelessly with vacant, glassy eyes. I was horrified by what I saw and I looked down and saw that I had a gun that was not mine clenched in my hand. But before I could put it down and get the hell out of there, since I looked extremely incriminating, the police arrived."

Sasuke looked anywhere but at Naruto, not wanting to see the expression on his face. Instead all he felt was the blonde grabbing a hold of his hand in what he assumed was a comfort. Sasuke squeezed the hand like a lifeline.

"What happened next?" Naruto whispered sounding horrified.

"I was immediately arrested, since the cops had an anonymous caller claiming that they could hear sounds of a fight and then several gunshots coming from the building where I worked. The cops assumed that it was an open and shut case since all evidence they came across apparently pointed directly to me." Sasuke explained bitterly. "Within the month, I went to trial with Karin testifying against me as well as my entire workplace all saying that I did it after having a verbal battle with Alex Huang the day he had been killed."

"Did you?"

"Did I what?" demanded Sasuke frowning at Naruto with confusion.

"Have a verbal fight with Alex Huang." Naruto replied quietly, obviously trying to make sense of something that didn't add up at all.

"I had words with him. But not to the extent that I'd kill the boy. He was innocent for crying out loud!" Sasuke shouted slightly hysterically. Naruto hushed him by pulling the obviously distraught, wearisome raven into his arms and rocking back and forth trying to soothe him and calm him down.

"None of this was your fault, Sasuke. Don't think that for a second." Naruto said sternly, especially when Sasuke started to protest.

"Then why do I feel so damn guilty!?" Sasuke murmured into Naruto's shoulder as angry, hurt tears finally started to leak from his midnight eyes. Naruto chewed on his bottom lip as he tried to think of the right words to say.

"I don't know. But we'll get to the bottom of your problem as soon as we get out of mine. I promise." Naruto whispered, carding his hand through Sasuke's naturally spiky black hair. Sasuke was touched and a rare smile crept across his normally stoic face. He pulled away from Naruto and once again caressed the blonde's whiskered cheek.

"Thank you."

And once again - quite unexpectedly they kissed again, the kiss growing more heated as the minutes ticked over and both forgot their troubles surrendering to the content they could feel in each other's arms.

* * *

**And that's a wrap! Finally, I finished this bastard of a chapter! Next chapter will be when Gaara and Neji talk for the first time, then Gaara, Iruka and Kakashi discover Naruto's millions.**

**Hope this chapter is okay - as always constructive reviews are NEEDED so I can see where I'm going right or wrong. Thanks xx**


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